I Once Was Lost
by Sheller2
Summary: Again, I find myself writing about Walt & Vic taking a long time to deal with their growing attraction to each other. This story takes place around the end of Season 3. I was very disappointed with an episode called In The Pines - so with this story, my favourite pair seek adventures in the great outdoors, that are more to my liking. Am trying to get some of my stories finished.
1. Chapter 1

It began innocently enough, with layers and layers of interactions, opportunities and nods. Walt and Vic (or was it Vic and Walt?) had spent a lot of time together, not only at work, but outside of work. They weren't sure what to call it – it was more than friendship, but was still relatively undefined. They had been enjoying outings and meals that were unrelated to work. An unfortunate side effect of being a cop meant that they were never very far away from work. Even when they grabbed a quick meal at the Busy Bee, invariably someone would approach them to complain about a neighbour or ask for assistance with a vandalism problem or something like that. So when Walt and Vic had some time off, they would head to Sheridan to pick up some much needed supplies and enjoy a meal in peace. They weren't as well known in Sheridan. It was a rare pleasure for them to relax and just be two people doing something mundane together without the pressure of the call to duty. With the two recently hired deputies up to speed and well trained, it was now possible for the two of them to leave the county together from time to time. THAT was nice! It was at one of their lunches that Vic asked "how come we never do outdoor stuff together? I'm not totally useless outside of a jail, you know!"

Walt was a bit surprised by the comment. He and Henry had spent just about every minute of their childhood and young adult years in the outdoors, experiencing all kinds of activities like hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, horseback riding, fort building and had loved every minute of it. Their shared activities had made them close friends with the added benefit of Henry getting to know Walt's dad, and Walt getting to know Henry's grandmother. Each of the boys at that time, was missing that family member; Henry enjoyed the strong male influence of Walt's father and Walt enjoyed the quiet guidance and love of Henry's grandmother. Without being obvious about his views, Walt had pegged Vic as a city girl, based on what she had told him of her past, and on her fairly regular complaints about Wyoming weather, the woods, the roads, the trails, animals and outdoor spaces. "Gee Vic…um…sorry, I didn't think you liked the outdoors that much."

Vic glared at him over her BLT and said, reading his thoughts, "well, yeah, I am a bit of a city girl, but I kinda want to experience the outdoors more. Henry keeps telling me that I need spend time on the land in order for me to understand the people. That makes sense. Besides, it will help me get to know the places where people are always getting lost or are causing problems for us. You know, I wasn't that useful on that big search party for the missing kid last year. I hated being stuck on the sidelines operating the radio, when the rest of you got to go out there and have fun."

"Vic, it wasn't fun," Walt pronounced, thinking back to that time. "Henry and Omar and I spent something like 27 hours straight up in the Saddlestring Hills looking for that missing kid. I ended up with a big blister on my heel from a hole in my sock which made every step I took painful. Henry had his old knee injury flare up and Omar ate too many beans and drove us crazy with his sound and wind effects. Plus it was damn cold!"

Vic continued to stare at Walt. There was nothing like Vic when she wanted something. "My views have changed a bit lately, Walt. I'm feeling more settled here, as you know. But it's not enough for me to drive around responding only to the town calls. When someone talks about the weather up at Meadowlark, or mentions that the fish are biting at West Tensleep Lake, I want to know about those places. I think I'm ready now to get out there. Can we go to some of those places? Besides, this will be really good for me, even for the department."

Walt knew there could only be one answer for Vic. "Sure, Vic. We can do that. We could do some hiking and camping if you want."

Vic looked pleased and helped herself to one of Walt's French fries. She crammed the last of the BLT into her mouth, made a goofy face at Walt and put a ten dollar bill on the table. "Great! A hike would be awesome. Gonna need a good pair of boots, I guess. My work boots have steel toes and they make my feet ache, so can't wear those. Can we go look at boots while we're here? It's still a bit cold for hiking, but if I got the boots now, I could get them broken in over the next while." She caught her breath and waved her arm at the café window, as though speaking to the distant hills. "Ferg is going to take me fishing. And Henry said he'd take me out tracking some time. I want to experience it all. It bugs me that you guys get to have all the fun."

"Ok Vic. We'll see how much fun you have the next time we get one of those 3 a.m. callouts for a missing hiker." Walt looked at his watch. "It's only 1:30, Vic. A bit early in the day to be buying boots."

"What?" Vic looked puzzled and then gave him the classic eye roll. "Are you joking?"

"Nope. It's always best to buy boots later in the day after you've been walking around, and your feet have swelled a bit. The people at the store will tell you that you get a better fit that way, otherwise your boots may end up being too small. Your boots have to be roomy enough for any changes your feet go through when you are hiking, and you need to allow lots of room for your socks. Let's go get some groceries and hit the bank and then we can look at boots. You're gonna need some good socks too," Walt said with a grin, as he finished off his burger and fries.

"If you're yankin' my chain about this feet swelling business, your ass will be grass, cowboy!" Vic said with emphasis. Walt raised his left eyebrow, smothering a smile, as he drained his glass of iced tea.

After the bill for lunch had been settled, groceries purchased, utility and credit card bills paid and cash withdrawn at the bank, the pair moved down Main Street to Sheridan's biggest outdoor store, the _Sporting Life_.

Walt was never much of a shopper, with Martha or Cady typically making most of the decisions for him regarding clothing or household purchases, but he instantly felt comfortable being in THIS store. It had been a while since he'd been in, maybe last spring when he had picked up some ammunition and fishing lures. He enjoyed looking at the displays of fishing and hunting gear. "Over here," he said, pulling at Vic's sleeve, leading her towards the back of the store, where he had spotted the boot display.

They were left to themselves for a while as they looked at boots. Vic was drawn to the section of lightweight hybrid boots, made of nylon and gore-tex. Walt, being old-school, preferred his heavy leather boots that had taken forever to break in. Those heavy boots had served him well for many years, although there were very few of that type on display in the store. Vic was leaning towards the lighter boots that looked really comfortable.

"Can I help you folks?" asked a young man approaching from the front of the store. "I'm Jimmy. What kind of activity will you be doing in these boots?" Vic let out a small snort and smothered a hint of laughter. Walt looked away and started browsing at the sock rack nearby. "Um…hiking mostly," Vic recovered her voice. "I was sort of looking for a light-weight boot that would be easy to break in, and would keep my feet dry. What about this one," she said, holding up a boot that had caught her eye. "Do you have this one in a 7 ½?"

"Yes, I believe we have several sizes of this boot. It's a good thing you're trying on boots this late in the day. You'll get a better fit that way," Jimmy explained. He was met by a loud snort from Vic.

After a brief discussion on the merits of this boot versus that boot, Vic tried on three styles, eventually settling on a mid-weight pair of Merrells, sure she would be able to get used to them quickly. She could even wear them at work, which would help to break them in faster.

Walt ended up being surprisingly opinionated about socks. He was biased towards thick wool socks of course, since he wore them with his overly-heavy-difficult-to-break-in leather boots. It had been at least ten years since Walt had purchased boots or socks, and thus he was unfamiliar with all the new technical materials. Jimmy suggested a combination of a mid-weight synthetic sock for Vic, a Thermax, layered over a thin polypropylene liner sock. "The thin liner will help wick away moisture and the over sock will keep your feet warm and dry. But you should try different combinations with your new boots, and see what feels good to you."

Due to her lack of experience in these matters, Vic was somewhat indifferent about the technical specifications of the socks, thinking more of the convenience of washing and drying the socks after wearing them. She didn't think that she wanted to fuss with wool socks.

After selecting two sets of socks to go with her new boots, Vic looked over at Walt who was moseying toward the backpacking section nearby.

"Hey Vic. Do you have a good daypack?" Walt asked, thinking that he had only seen Vic with a shoulder bag, he thought for her laptop. "Look at these. I'll treat you to a new pack – look at this one with all these pockets and loops." He held up a North Face 'Borealis' daypack for Vic to see. It was a great looking pack with all the bells and whistles. It was navy and royal blue, with several small zippered pockets on the outside, which were useful for storing snacks, car keys and a cel phone. The inside of the pack had a secondary compartment for a light rain jacket, in addition to the main compartment. Walt pointed out the advantages of the mesh back, "Keeps your back dry when you sweat. And you can attach a bit of rope to a biner on those outside loops."

Vic put the pack on and liked how it felt. Walt tugged on it a bit at the back, pretending to be a load of gear. "How does that feel?" "It feels like someone's draggin' me down," Vic said with a laugh to Walt's smile.

Vic had no idea that hiking gear could be so complicated or expensive. She was grateful that Walt had offered to treat her to the daypack, even though they typically went dutch for everything they did together. Her small paycheque barely covered her rent and food and the boots were going to make a big dent in her savings account.

"I think we'd better stop shopping for now," she said with a grin. "I'm tapped out. And thanks a lot, Walt, for the offer of the daypack. If you're sure this one's not too expensive?"

"Nah, Vic, this one's really good. It fits you well and isn't too big, so you won't be tempted to overfill it. It's a good investment and besides, you can always use it for travel or day trips too. It will last you a long time."

It had been an expensive trip to Sheridan with Vic forking out a little over $ 300 for the boots, socks and three bags of groceries. The daypack had cost Walt about $130, but he was pleased that Vic was ok with his offer. In spite of some trepidation initially, he was now looking forward to trying out something different with Vic. He'd find a way to help her get a better rain jacket somehow. It bugged him that his deputies were paid so poorly, but now that he and Vic had gotten really close, anything he might try to do to increase her salary might be seen as inappropriate or biased. He wondered if Ruby could help him one day and they could look at how the salaries of Absaroka's deputies compared to other counties and maybe build a legitimate case for a pay raise for all of them.

They stopped for gas on the way home and Vic took this as an opportunity to put on her new boots. She was excited about her new purchases and the prospect of exploring the outdoors with Walt. "Hey, do you want a Slurpee? I'm gettin' one."

"What's a Slurpee? " Walt asked, looking puzzled. Vic rolled her eyes, "just pick a colour then, orange, green or red?" Walt wasn't sure what he was agreeing to. "Green, I guess," thinking of popsicles from his childhood. They walked into the 7-11 together, with Walt heading to the counter to pay for the gas while Vic walked to the Slurpee dispenser. She selected strawberry for herself and fake lime for Walt. "Mmm…this is good, Vic," muttered Walt as they left the store. He had a pleased look on his face. "That's right, these things aren't just for kids, you know!" Vic said with emphasis, looking at a grinning Walt.

It was a good three weeks before Walt and Vic had a chance to try their first hike. One of their new deputies, Warren, had to take a couple of days off for emergency dental surgery and this had messed up their schedules. Once Warren had returned to work, the carefully and discretely crafted schedule that allowed Walt and Vic to have most of the same days and nights off, could be reinstated. In the meantime, Vic had taken to wearing her new boots all day long. On her lunch breaks, she was often seen walking around the Town Square with her daypack filled with books 'practicing' her hiking. Walt smiled to himself as he watched Vic through their office window. She looked really happy out there and seemed pleased with the prospect of their first outdoor adventure together.


	2. Chapter 2

One day while they were having a rare leisurely lunch break at the Busy Bee, Walt offered Vic a couple of choices for their first 'official' hike. "We could start with a pretty straightforward but scenic hike up to Circle Lake. It would be about three miles each way and an elevation gain of about 1800 feet. There's a real pretty lake up there. Or, we could take the Solitude Peak trail and do a bit of a longer loop to the base of the peak and back. That one is nice because we would take one route up and another back, but…" Walt paused and let his sentence trail off, "but that one may not be….hmmm…" Walt seemed to be unable to complete his thought.

"What, Walt?" Vic asked as she gulped her Diet Coke. "I didn't hear that last bit." Walt didn't give a reply. He took another bite of his sandwich.

Vic, knowing 'Walt speak', let him take his time to express himself. Since she had no experience in these matters she let him decide. She sensed that he was leaning towards the first choice. Maybe there was some association with Martha and one of those locations. "What do you want to do? Either is fine with me. You choose."

Walt seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and opted for the first hike. Vic thought to herself, 'maybe that other one is some place he would rather not revisit.' 'Or', she thought to herself, a little disappointed, 'maybe he thinks I'm not capable of doing the other hike?' Walt offered no explanation and Vic decided not to push the issue. She was happy enough to be starting with any hike.

A few days later, they met up for their expedition. Since the hike was going to be a few hours in length, Walt made sure that they both had a full bottle of water, a juice box, sandwich, apple and some trail mix. He had also stashed a couple of protein bars and fruit leather packets in ziploc bags in each of their packs, making sure to point out that these were "for emergency consumption only!"

They shared a laugh at that last comment. "You mean that basic hunger doesn't constitute an emergency?" Vic grinned. "That's right," Walt laughed in return, deliberately bumping into Vic's shoulder with his own.

Vic brought a lightweight rain jacket with her as extra clothing, although the forecast was for warm clear weather. Walt had an old fleece vest and a mini first aid kit with him. And, being old school like he was, he also had a topo map of the area and his compass. Unknown to Vic, Walt had also stowed a micro survival package containing an emergency space blanket, a few yards of flagging tape, about 20 feet of thin cord, a big square of tin foil, matches, a candle and a large piece of plastic sheeting. It all compacted well into a small package at the bottom of his pack. Eventually once they got moving, he was going to walk Vic through some emergency procedures, like how to use the sheet of plastic to rig up a quick shelter, and how to use the foil as a base for the candle. Of course Walt always had his gun and pocket knife with him.

He felt pretty good about their pending adventure. He was glad they were doing the Circle Lake hike. Vic was in good shape (better than he was), and she was sensible. She'd keep her head in an emergency and she had also been quick to catch on to the rudimentary navigational demo he had given her earlier. He had pointed out some of the major landmarks that they would be seeing on their hike, and how they could be identified on the map. He was going to have to explain again what the difference was between magnetic and true north. As well, he would explain again why he had to set his compass declination to +9 degrees (positive/east) for Wyoming, to compensate for the difference between true and magnetic north. He had looked up Philadelphia too, which would mean a – 12 degree (negative/west) declination and was going to use that as an example that Vic could relate to. They could get into all that stuff later. 'Hmmm….,' he thought to himself - that was going to be a challenge to explain, particularly when younger people were always wanting to use electronic devices. He enjoyed the challenge of navigating with a map and compass, but not everyone understood how to do it. But Vic was smart and would catch on quickly. He was determined not to give up this kind of specialized knowledge, in favour of a GPS device. 'Besides', he thought…'sometimes the damn GPS devices don't work in cloudy weather.' On a hunting trip last year, he had witnessed Omar's special device encountering problems in heavily treed areas, or when bad weather got in the way of the GPS unit connecting with satellites. Walt knew that Vic liked learning new things and she often made him feel like there was value in what he had to say.

It also felt really good to Walt that he and Vic would be having some fun together. He began to feel ok about things in his world again. For a long time he hadn't felt good about much at all, but lately he felt as though he might have turned a corner, thanks, in part, to the way Vic had entered and had added joy to his life. He suspected Vic felt that way too sometimes. He felt that they could actually emerge from the past with hope for a shared future.

They really enjoyed the hike up to the lake. The weather was ideal for what they had planned – it was warm with a few wispy clouds high in the sky. Vic was comfortable with all her gear and Walt felt that he was in good enough shape to keep up with Vic and not draw attention to his worries about being "too old" for Vic. He was also looking forward to seeing the lake again.

They enjoyed making good progress uphill, taking only a few short breaks to enjoy the view or to have a sip of water. Walt lingered in place at times, enjoying their brief touches, and the scent of Vic and her slightly messed up hair. At one point, he held his topo map out for her to see, and gave a brief demonstration of old school map and compass operation. He felt very light and relaxed.

On one such break Walt had to catch his breath when he had a flash of a memory of Martha. They had both made this particular hike many years ago, not long after they got married and before Cady was born. The old gnarled lightning-struck tree at the bend in the trail reminded him of that moment and how it represented the life he led many years ago. He wasn't sure how Vic would feel if he let her know of this memory, so left things silent for now. He still struggled with reconciling his past life with Martha and his possible future with Vic. Maybe he should talk to Henry about it again since his old friend had a real knack at helping Walt put things into perspective.

After several hours of hiking, and two snack breaks, Vic needed to stop to use "the little girl's room", as she put it. "Just where am I supposed to go?" she barked at Walt. She really didn't mean to snap at him, but it was the smirk on his face that set her off. Over the years Walt had enjoyed a number of camping and fishing trips with Martha, Henry and Cady, and had heard all the complaints before. "Well, you can go over there behind those bushes," he motioned. "Just don't go near any poison ivy," he chuckled, knowing that there was none in the area. But Vic didn't know that. She quickly took care of her needs, and emerged from the bushes, to find a snickering Walt. "Ha ha," she said.

A while later, they were sitting in some scrub grass just to the side of the trail taking a break. Walt had removed his outer plaid shirt revealing a blue t-shirt. Vic eyed him while she took a long draw of water. She could see a pink scar about two inches long, marking Walt's upper left arm. It was from the bullet graze from Chance Gilbert's gun. She reached over and touched it lightly with her fingers. "Do you ever dream about that night?"

Walt looked off in the distance for a while before he spoke. "Yup. From time to time," Walt answered. He paused. "Sometimes it's more of a flashback than a dream. I can see the dead body of that census worker in the freezer. He had a sort of grimace on his face that was grotesque. And in my mind I can still see your face when you were standing on that porch just before you were let go." Walt reached over to Vic and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "I thought I was going to lose you that night. The thought made me sick to my stomach then…it still does. There was so much I wanted to say to you after all that, but I just couldn't. You were still married to Sean. I just figured that eventually we might be able to talk about it all."

Vic lifted her head from where it was leaning on Walt's chest. Looking deeply into his eyes, she confessed to having some nightmares of her own in the months following the ordeal. "And flashbacks too. They come at the strangest times," she explained.

"You mean like when you saw that baseball bat at the Jacky house?" Walt asked quietly. "Yeah…that was weird and really threw me off. I didn't want to tell you. Walt, how do you know whether it's a flashback or a bad memory?"

"I don't know. I think maybe a memory comes on more slowly and you can think about parts of it if you want or like and you can even revisit a memory, but I think a flashback is more intense and it seems uncontrollable. And I think sometimes people can have both. It's ok Vic…I know this hasn't been easy for you…you didn't give me much detail about what happened that night. I'll be a good listener if you want to tell me more about it."

"I know," said Vic. "The worst trigger so far has been a motorcycle helmet," she added. "Didn't tell you about that part either." Vic let her words hang there for a while and chose not to elaborate. Walt didn't press her for more details, thinking that Vic would gradually let him in on it when she was ready.

Once refreshed from their break, they resumed their hike. At last they reached the lake and enjoyed another break at the water's edge, this time for a longer period of time. "Ever go skinny dipping?" Vic asked with a grin. "Sure, lots of times when we were younger," Walt said with a smile. "Lake's too cold at the moment and I'm too old for that," Walt said (thinking he was a bit too flabby and just maybe a bit too old for that). He and Henry had done that plenty of times in their youth, and he and Martha had shared in that as well when they were first married. They didn't have any money for vacations, and thus hiking and camping were common activities for the young married couple. Skinny dipping should be an Olympic sport for newlyweds, Walt thought.

Thankfully Walt and Vic had the lake mostly to themselves, catching a glimpse of only two other people walking around the path at the far end of the lake. The sun's rays were making dappled lines between the trees, and the shade providing a bit of coolness for them as they made a circle of the lake and then started back home.

The hike was deemed a success. Both were pretty tired at the conclusion, but were happy. Vic was pleased with herself – the hike had been a great chance to be with Walt outside of work, her fitness level had improved, and she was able to adapt to the wilderness challenge and actually enjoy herself. She also wanted to be comfortable in the outdoors and not spoil any of the experience for Walt. Her worst fear was that she would be seen as a sissy. Her strength and comfort in the woods pleased her greatly. Walt too, was pleased. He was able to keep up with a very fit Vic and it brought tremendous pleasure to him, seeing Vic really enjoying herself in a new activity.

Later that night, Vic scrolled through the photos she had taken that day. There were some duds that she quickly deleted. She really liked the ones she had captured of the lake and the trees. She smiled as she paused to look at a particularly well composed shot of Walt standing tall, looking at the lake before him. He was so natural looking, unaware that Vic was taking his photo. He looked so good in that blue t-shirt and jeans. Even with his hair messed up, he was handsome and relaxed. Although the photo captured a private moment, Vic thought she might get it printed and framed for herself. She smiled and had happy thoughts of adventures to come.


	3. Chapter 3

Walt woke up on that Saturday morning feeling a bit like he'd been hit by a truck. His mind was fuzzy. It was a bit odd because he hadn't felt that bad the night before when they had gone out for a few beers after work. But now his muscles ached and his throat was sore. How could this come on so quickly?

'Damn it', he said to himself. 'I don't want to miss our hike today.' He felt a bit warm too but brushed it off, looking forward to seeing Vic.

A really hot shower and some scrambled eggs for breakfast helped a bit. He popped the last Advil he could find in the cabin and packed his gear. He wasn't sure what to wear so grabbed his medium weight flannel shirt. One minute he felt hot and the next he felt cold. He and Vic were going to do an easy looping hike around Gem and Elk Lakes and they could expect to be in the sun and shade and he supposed he should plan accordingly.

They met at the Gem Lake Trailhead parking lot at 9:30 as planned. Vic looked comfortable in shorts, a Philadelphia Flyers t-shirt, ball cap and her new boots. She was really pleased with the boots and how easy they had been to break in.

"Mornin, sunshine," she said cheerfully to Walt, who seemed to be taking his time getting his pack and boots ready at the tailgate of the truck. "Hey Vic, looks like a good day for hike!"

"Yup. Sunny but not too warm. Perfect weather and my boots feel really good too! Are you ready?"

"Just a sec. I want to leave a note in the truck about our route, in case we run into trouble. We should leave a bit of a paper trail, so people know our plans."

"Walt, are you expecting trouble today? Are you ok? You look a bit tired."

"Yeah, I'm ok. Just a bit tired. I didn't sleep that well last night" he fibbed. He hated to admit that he wasn't feeling well and he didn't want to disappoint Vic by cancelling their hike.

They completed the final adjustments to their equipment and started the gradual climb up to Gem Lake. They took their first break after 40 minutes of hiking. The climb took them gradually through a mixed forest of pine, spruce and birch trees. It was a second growth forest that had been thinned out back in the 1970s. The undergrowth had largely been removed and burned off, to eliminate tinder for forest fires. The brush clearing had opened up fine views of the distant hills. After the gradual incline they found themselves on an open plateau with the lake taking centre stage.

After a picnic lunch at the north end of the first lake, they resumed their hike. Vic noticed that Walt seemed to be slowing down. She seemed to have unlimited energy and surged ahead on the trail. Since they were up on the plateau, it was easy going. Walt was dragging a bit and he stopped to catch his breath and have a drink of water. The water quenched his thirst somewhat, but also irritated his throat. His head was pounding and he felt very warm. The ground was looking appealing to him and he wanted to lie down for a moment, although felt foolish about it. He stumbled and sat down heavily. He couldn't seem to find the energy to go any further.

"Walt," Vic called out, wondering why he was taking so long. She looked back at him with concern. "Hey, you don't look very well. What's going on?" She trotted back down the trail to where Walt was sprawled. She immediately crouched in front of him and put her hand on his cheek, which looked flushed. "Man, you are warm! You have a fever." "Vic, I think I'm coming down with the flu or something. Don't feel well at all," Walt finally admitted.

"Oh Walt," Vic said, feeling his forehead. "We shouldn't be out here. You should be at home in bed. Really, I'm serious. If you're feeling sick, let's just go home. We can do a hike another time; all this stuff will still be here next weekend or whenever. Let's get you home while you can still move."

With some degree of mumbling and fumbling, Vic managed to get Walt down the trail and back to her truck. Part way down the trail she called Ferg to ask if he could find a way to pick up Walt's truck and get it back to his cabin later in the day. They discussed where Vic would hide the keys. She also asked Ferg to take Walt's name off the emergency call list for a few days, explaining his flu bug.

Vic buckled a fading Walt into his seatbelt and asked how he felt. "Not so good," he sighed. "Ok, we're headin' home now." Vic drove the fifteen miles back to the cabin while Walt dozed, his head leaning on the passenger window. His hair was messy and his breath was a bit wheezy. As they progressed down the dirt track towards the highway, Walt leaned towards Vic. He slipped her small hand into his own. Walt's hand felt really dry and Vic realized that he was probably dehydrated.

At the cabin, Vic struggled to haul a wobbly Walt out of the truck and into the cabin. "Do you want to take a shower while I make you some tea? Then I'll get you settled in bed."

"Ok," mumbled Walt. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Over here, cowboy. Here we go," Vic laughed, although she was not finding any of this at all funny. Her worries for Walt were growing. In the bathroom, she held onto Walt's waist while she turned on the hot water. "The steam might help a bit. Do you need some help?"

"No, I got it Vic. Been doing this for a while now." Walt struggled with his clothes and somehow managed to get himself into the shower without falling over. The hot water and steam felt good, taking away some of the chill he was feeling.

In the kitchen, after putting the kettle on to boil, Vic scrounged around for some herbal tea. In the catch-all drawer, where she had previously seen stray bandaids, bits of string, elastic bands, restaurant napkins, dead batteries and toothpicks, she hunted for aspirin and sore throat lozenges. No luck there.

"Hey Walt," Vic yelled from the bathroom doorway towards the shower. "Do you have any cold or flu remedies? Where do you keep aspirin?"

"Um….I don't really have any…" mumbled Walt from behind the shower curtain. "Used the last Advil this morning,"

"Are you ok in there?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"Ok, finish off your shower and have some of this tea."

Vic poured herbal tea for Walt and ensured that his hair was completely dried off after his shower. Although Walt was pretty out of it, he was awake enough to realize that he REALLY liked Vic drying his hair. She also lit a fire and closed all the cabin windows.

"Here you go," she said as she tucked Walt into his bed. "I'll get another blanket for you." She tenderly put the back of her hand on his forehead and asked how he felt. "Um…I think I just need to get some sleep. I'll be ok. Sorry that I ruined our hike today," he said.

Vic leaned closer and brushed her lips gently over his forehead. "That's ok, you're entitled to take care of yourself, you know. We all get sick….hey, you don't have any supplies. You go to sleep now and I'll make a quick run into town. Do you want me to get apple or orange juice?"

"Either is fine, thanks Vic."

"It's ok, Walt. I should know this stuff by now. Do you take aspirin or something else like Tylenol or Advil when you get sick or injured?"

"Advil….sometimes for my knee."

"Ok, I'll get you some. Oh, and Ferg is going to bring the Bronc back home for you some time later today, so don't worry about that. And you won't be getting any calls to come into work, so don't even think about that."

As she made minor adjustments to the blankets and fetched a box of Kleenex from the pantry, Walt made an effort to open his eyes and really get a look at Vic. "You're so good to me. You've probably noticed that I'm not very good at asking for help."

"It's alright, you've done plenty to help me. See you in about an hour. I'll put some chicken soup on for you when I get back. Just rest your bones and I'll be back soon."

"Thanks Vic" said Walt as he fell back under the covers. "And no reading!" Vic called from the front door. "Only sleeping!"

Vic drove quickly into town and picked up the medication, a roasting chicken and some vegetables, several containers of packaged apple juice, as well as several cans of frozen orange juice, a loaf of bread, a package of sausages, a carton of eggs and some milk. On the way back to the cabin she gave Cady a quick call.

"Hi Cady. It's me. Um…I just wanted you to know that your dad has a touch of the flu. We started the day with a hike but had to call it quits, and I took him home. He's in bed now."

"Vic, thanks for calling. How is he?" asked Cady, surprised by Vic's call.

"He's ok. I put him to bed a while ago and am just heading back to the cabin. As usual, he had absolutely no supplies or food in the cabin so I had to go into town and pick up some stuff. He has a bit of a fever and is sleeping now. I think all he needs is a bit of rest."

"Thanks Vic. I should go see him, I guess."

"Well, I'm heading back there now and I figured I'd stay with him all night. I think he'll just sleep through the night, once I pump him full of juice and chicken soup."

Cady wasn't sure how much to intervene. She wanted to check on her dad, but he had always been stubborn about wanting to be left alone when he was sick. And now with Vic in the picture, Cady felt she should tread lightly.

"Um…Cady," Vic said slowly. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Are you ok with my involvement with your dad?" Vic let her comment hang there for a moment. She didn't just mean her involvement with Walt today, but in a general sense.

Cady paused as well. She began to speak just as Vic made the last turnoff to the cabin. "Don't worry, Vic. I'm good with you and my dad. I know that he's really happy when he's with you, and I'm sure you're a comfort to him now. Just the fact that he's LETTING you help him, is a bit of a breakthrough," said Cady, feeling relief to have this lingering issue out in the open with Vic. "You know how stubborn he can be when he's hurt or sick…"

Vic was certainly familiar with this side of Walt, recalling a number of times he returned to the Sheriff's office bloodied and battered after capturing a fugitive, refusing assistance or first aid. "Cady, thanks for that," Vic replied. "I wasn't sure how you felt about things….I kept meaning to talk to you, but we mostly run into each other at the Pony or when Walt or Henry are around and there's been no time or privacy for us to have a chat." Vic continued, responding to Cady's earlier question… "I was planning on staying with Walt tonight…I could do that and then maybe you could come by tomorrow morning and that would give me a chance to go home to attend to some things, and I could check in with the office…"

"That sounds good, Vic," Cady said. "I'll come by the cabin tomorrow morning and we can take it from there…he'll probably be arguing to be left alone by then." She sighed.

"Sounds good. If he worsens, I'll call you. But I'm sure he just needs to eat a good meal and sleep for a couple of days."

Vic hung up the phone and carried the groceries into the cabin. She looked in on Walt, who was sleeping peacefully. She made a large jug of orange juice and started making chicken soup. About an hour later she heard Walt stirring in the bedroom and so she brought him a small glass of juice. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Walt still looked tired as he drank the orange juice. "Ok, just tired."

"That's ok…good actually. You can just sleep the day away. I'll have some chicken soup ready for you in about an hour, if you are feeling up to it. It will do you good." She felt his forehead again. He was still slightly warm. "Do you have a headache? I got you some Advil." She tucked him back in bed after he visited the bathroom, and then turned her attention to the soup. The roasted chicken had cooled enough for her to tear it into pieces for the soup. She chopped up the garlic, onion, celery, carrot and broccoli, strained the stock and in no time, had a tasty, nutritious soup for herself and Walt. With Vic's help, Walt managed to get out of bed and stayed at the kitchen table just long enough to consume a small bowl of soup, a couple of crackers and a glass of apple juice.

Walt allowed Vic to lead him by the hand back to bed. It was a long night. Walt tossed and turned and seemed to be a bit distressed. At one point he called out softly for Vic, who was sitting in a chair by the bed, dozing uncomfortably.

In the morning Cady arrived at her dad's cabin. She could see that Vic's truck was still there, and she also noted that the cabin had been well cleaned. There were still piles of clutter, but the empty beer cans and dirty dishes had been removed. And the kitchen was spotless and stocked with basic supplies.

Cady did not see Vic until she was standing in the doorway of her dad's bedroom. There she saw her dad covered by a number of blankets and quilts, sleeping peacefully in Vic's arms. Cady had wondered how Vic and her dad would 'fit' together, her being so short and her dad being so very tall. They certainly looked like they fit together very well here. Without waking them, Cady managed to sneak closer and feel her dad's forehead and gave thanks that it was cool to the touch. 'Good' she said to herself.

Cady went back to the kitchen to put on a pot of tea. A few minutes later, the whistling of the kettle coming to the boil on the gas stove, woke Vic, who extricated herself from Walt's heavy arms.

"Hi Cady," Vic said shyly, not sure if Cady had seen her and Walt in bed together. "Hi Vic…Dad seems to be sleeping soundly, and his forehead seemed cool to the touch," Cady said. "I guess that means you saw us," Vic said to Cady. "Yeah, no big deal..." Cady said. "You guys are meant to be together, I think. You make him happy in ways I haven't seen, you know. And if he's happy, then I'm happy."

"Thanks Cady. It's not been easy for either of us. It seemed like every time we wanted to give things a try, something awful got in the way," Vic explained. "Maybe this has just been a baby step forward for us?"

"I hope so, and I'm sure Henry feels the same way," Cady offered hopefully, putting another of Vic's concerns to rest.

"Yeah," said Vic as she turned to look again towards Walt's bedroom. "Now that you're here, I think I'll make my exit. I have to do some stuff of my own at home, like laundry and cleaning up and then talk to Ferg. How about if I call you in a couple of hours and see how things are? Then I could probably come back after lunch."

"Sounds good. I'm sure he'll just sleep; he may not even notice that I'm here," said Cady.

Vic walked quietly back into the bedroom and gave Walt a gentle kiss goodbye. Walt stirred slightly, but did not awaken.

A few hours later, Walt woke from a sound sleep, to find Cady sitting on his couch, reading and sipping a cup of tea. "Hey Punk. Didn't know you were here. Um…where's Vic?" he asked.

"Hi Dad." Cady got up from the couch to give her dad a hug and see if his fever was completely gone. His forehead was cool to the touch and he said he was feeling a bit better. They shared an embrace for a moment. "Vic had to do some stuff at home and check in with Ferg. She'll be back after lunch. And Henry called to see how you were. He'd like to pop out here later this afternoon. You are such a popular fellow these days, Dad," Cady said with a big grin.

"Um…yeah, I guess so," said Walt, thinking about how nice it was lying in bed with Vic.

"That was really nice of Vic to look after you like that, Dad. You can be so stubborn sometimes. That must have taken a lot for you to admit you needed a bit of help."

"Yeah. She was nice. I mean, it was nice of her. She's a good cook too." Walt's choice of words felt awkward. The whole thing felt awkward to him – his admission of being sick, Vic's loving care, sleeping with him. He wanted to change the conversation.

"You said Henry was coming out? Do you think he'll bring something to eat?" asked Walt, thinking that his appetite was improving.

"Dad! Henry is your oldest friend. Do you only think of him as being a source of food or beer? He wants to come and see you because he's heard that you were sick!" Cady exclaimed, only half serious.

"I know. It's just that I'm hungry all of a sudden," said Walt, also thinking of a Rainier beer.

"Well, they won't be here for a while yet. I know that Vic left some food in the fridge. How about if I fix a snack for you and get some more juice into you as well. Is there anything else you need?" asked Cady. A short time later, Walt was wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the couch sharing a chicken sandwich, with Cady by his side. They had a nice chat, slumped on the couch together.

About an hour later, Vic arrived back at the cabin, followed a short time later by Henry. Vic was pleased to see Walt looking so much better, although she didn't want him to do much other than eat and go back to bed. She had already made a mental note about not showing any public displays of affection, so nixed the idea of getting cozy with him. She would have to find a way to tease Walt about what PDA was.

Henry had brought a large pizza for dinner, since by now he had heard that Walt's appetite had improved. "Walt, I hear you and Vic have been enjoying some hikes lately. How is that going?" Henry asked, knowing that it was a loaded question. Not much got by Henry.

"Um…it's going well," said Walt, looking over to Vic, who was sitting on the arm of the couch, next to Henry. She had a slight grin on her face, as did Cady. "You should see the ground we're covering," Vic said, bursting into laughter. Walt smiled, but looked a bit uncomfortable. Cady let out a giggle. And then Henry laughed.

The foursome enjoyed their pizza and beer (Walt was restricted by his nursemaids to ONE beer), and Walt was given strict orders to take it easy and get more rest. Everyone agreed that it would be a quick meal. Afterwards, Cady and Henry got up to clear the dishes from the living room and make their exit. Cady adjusted the blanket around her dad's shoulders as he sat on the couch, and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

"Thanks, Punk."

"I'll call you tomorrow, Dad," Cady said. "Thanks for everything, Vic."

Henry leaned down towards Walt, as though he too was going to give him a kiss. Walt grinned and said "I'm sorry to see you go, Henry, but I don't want a kiss." The pair chuckled and Henry gave Walt a squeeze on the shoulder, whispering to him, "Be well, my friend. Remember you are blessed." Walt nodded.

Vic walked Henry and Cady outside to their vehicles, and the three lingered there a moment. Henry drew Vic in for an embrace. "Vic, I think that you have made Walt very happy. I have not seen him this relaxed in a long time. You are helping him heal, and you are giving him reason to think that he can have a happy peaceful future. This is significant for you both."

Vic blushed at the comment, and looked at Cady. "Ditto, Vic. You seem happy to me. Obviously the hiking is going well," Cady teased. "And I know that he really appreciates all the care you've given him," she said, giving Vic a hug of her own.

"Yeah. Things are going well. We're really enjoying the hikes," Vic replied with a shy smile. "Thanks for the food and beer and for coming out. I think Walt was somehow pleased with all the fuss, although he'd never admit it."

Henry and Cady left. Vic walked slowly up the cabin steps, turning for a moment to take in the view. She was always shocked by how moved she felt by this view. There was a mystical quality to it that she could not quite comprehend. She was convinced that Walt felt it too.

Walt was waiting for her on the couch. "Well, Nurse Moretti, what's next?" he asked, holding his hands out towards Vic.

"Back to bed for you, cowboy," Vic replied, hauling Walt off the couch and to his feet.

It was Walt's turn to draw Vic into an embrace. "Vic," he said. "Thanks for everything. You've been unbelievably kind and helpful. I'm feeling a lot better, but I think I still need a bit of help getting into bed," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Henry reminded me to be thankful for everything. I'm grateful that you are with me. You know I'm not very good with words, but I just wanted to say that you make me happy."

Vic smiled, as Walt continued to hold her in his arms. She murmured into his shoulder, "I'm happy too, Walt. You've made me feel whole again."

They stood there holding each other for a long time and then finally Vic said that Walt should get back to bed. Vic agreed to spend the night with him. Both slept peacefully and in the morning started to plan their next hike.


	4. Chapter 4

_**This was a fun chapter to write. I have a lot of experience with hiking and Search & Rescue…**_

The hiking duo began to plan for their most ambitious expedition to date. They had been hiking together for a couple of months and Walt had seen no reason to dampen Vic's enthusiasm. She was very fit and seemed comfortable in the woods (except when it came to using the 'facilities'). The weather was still warm and Walt was really enjoying revisiting hiking spots with a fresh perspective. Besides, anything he did with Vic brought him immense pleasure.

He had decided that they should tackle the Frying Pan Lakes Trail, located a few miles east of Sheridan, which would take them on a long 9 mile circuit around the 3 lakes. If they got too tired, there were plenty of options for them to shorten the hike and relax a bit before heading home. The Lake circuit was in the Bighorn National Forest and although not a long distance from Durant, the road to the trailhead would be rough. They took advantage of the available daylight and got a very early start since it would be a full day hike. They also wanted to get the steepest part of the hike completed by late morning, before it got too hot.

Along the way, Walt enjoyed pointing out some of the more important landmarks, like Willow Park Reservoir and Independence Peak. Vic had been learning about local wildflowers all summer. A while back she had picked up a small pocket guide and was enjoying identifying flowers they spotted on their hikes. They took time to dip their feet in the first lake and then pressed on to the second and third. They covered a lot of ground, very satisfied with their pace and the wonderful views of each successive lake. Although it was not a terribly difficult hike, most people avoided it, due to the rough road and isolation.

Late in the afternoon, Walt started to get really tired. He had been weary at the onset of the hike, due largely to a recent series of long work days followed by sleep-deprived nights. A complex and disturbing domestic violence case had recently occupied much of his time. The ASD staff were all bothered by the case since it involved a man related to Ruby's husband. After several weeks, the offender had been located and arrested. Everyone was left worn out and upset by the crime, and by the effect the case had on their dear Ruby.

Unnoticed by Vic, a very fatigued Walt started to become confused. The topo map that he was using was more than ten years old. Since Walt rarely used the Internet, he was unaware of the huge volume of new trails created and posted by hunters, anglers, hikers, mountain bikers and geo-cachers.

Little by little, over the past hour or so, they had become lost. They had not strayed far off the main trail which Walt was familiar with. However, the secondary trails recently created by the mountain bikers in the area had led Walt off target without his knowledge.

He suggested they stop for a water break. It was time for Walt to make a confession. "Vic…um…I hate to say it, but I think we're lost."

"Are you shittin' me?" Vic asked. "You mean Mr. Woodsman himself got us lost?" Vic spewed, with an unfortunate lack of empathy.

Walt was not amused – annoyed at himself more than at Vic. He prided himself on being an experienced hiker and hunter, having spent many hundreds of hours over the years, traipsing through these woods with Henry and Omar. He had no clue how he had taken a wrong turn. It would be several hours later, once darkness fell, that Vic would haul out her cel phone (currently charging with solar power), and show Walt some newfangled online maps. One of these maps would provide the small clue that Walt needed to find his way back to the main trail in the morning.

They decided to take a proper break to refresh themselves with water and a snack. Once it became obvious to Walt that they weren't going to get out that night, little by little, his stomach settled and he began to form a plan in his head. It was probably going to be a bit uncomfortable for them, but it was doable. It was late summer and still fairly warm at night. Not much chance of an animal attack. They had a bit of food and water, and some extra clothing and he could whip up a shelter for them. Their injuries were minor. He knew where they were, roughly, but just couldn't find the right way back in the dim light. And they had each other. Walt would make sure that Vic was comfortable and safe. He always had her back.

"Ok, Vic. How's your knee?"

"Um…it's ok. A bit sore, but it's just a gouge from those rocks. No big deal." Much earlier in the day, both of them had lost their footing. They were crossing a very steep scree slope just past the Roaring Fork River. When they were about half way across the slope, some of the small rocks beneath their feet started to shift. Both Walt and Vic had slipped about six feet down the rough slope, and Vic had suffered a gash on her knee.

"What are we gonna do?" Vic looked at Walt with the slightest bit of worry in her eyes. "Are we going to camp out here for the night?" She conveyed aloud what he had been thinking, "I think we're really lost, Sherlock."

Walt took a deep breath and looked at his favourite deputy. Even in this state of distress, she was beautiful. Her hair had escaped from its ties, she had a smudge of dust on her face on top of a light sunburn, and she sat there holding a tissue to her knee. She looked so young! He wondered AGAIN to himself, what she saw in him. The age difference was a constant worry to him. He feared one day she would get a better job offer and would leave Durant – would leave him... How would her family view him? They had talked recently about him making a trip to Philly with her. And, he wondered, how Cady really felt about their relationship. All of these thoughts and doubts crowded together inside his head.

"Earth to Walt!" laughed Vic, knocking gently on his head with her knuckles. "Are you in there, Walt?"

Walt laughed and tried to hide his worry and said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, "Yup. I'm here. Just thinking about how we can deal with this. It's almost dark now and we're hours away from the parking lot. We can't go any further, so we'll have to hunker down here for the night. It's not safe for us to keep stumbling around in the dark. We could put in a call for Search and Rescue…but…this doesn't seem urgent to me. To be safe, we should stay put. In the morning we'll be able to get back on track." He paused for a moment. "Vic, I'm really sorry. I've been a terrible navigator today. I guess my map is out of date. I promise that I'll keep you safe. Are you ok with us staying here overnight and not calling out for a rescue?"

Vic had been crouched down near Walt's feet, re-tying a boot lace and checking on her bleeding knee. "It's ok, Walt. We're perfectly capable of staying out here until first light and it would be too frickin' embarrassing for us to call in a rescue. We'd NEVER live it down. At least my feet are happy," she said irritatingly cheerfully. "These boots are great. How are you – how's your knee?"

Earlier in the day, on a challenging downhill pitch, Walt wrenched his knee a bit, irritating an old injury from his college football days. "Oh that, it's ok. It's always a bit sore, but Henry gets me this devil's club root salve from his aunt and that helps with the ache. I've got a bit with me and will put some on later. Sorry, but it's not something that you can put on an open wound though," he said, looking at Vic's knee. "I do have a small first aid kit and I can get you a bandage, later on, if you don't mind waiting until we get a shelter figured out. We really need to take advantage of the light that's left."

Walt looked to the western sky and calculated how long it would take for the sun to set. It was a well-known technique for folks who frequented the outdoors. You held your hand out with thumb pointing upwards, like you were going to shake someone's hand, fingers outstretched and parallel to the horizon. You calculated how many finger widths you could see between the horizon and the sun. Each finger width represented about 15 minutes of daylight left. While Vic looked at Walt with distain, he determined they had about 45 minutes of daylight left. "Is that for real?" Vic asked. "Or are you just makin' this stuff up?"

"It's real, Vic. Each finger width between the horizon and the sun means there are 15 minutes of daylight remaining. Doesn't matter if you are looking at the actual horizon or a treeline – wherever the sun is going down. You can Google that, if you want to. We have about 45 minutes of daylight left. We better find a place to bunk down for the night. Although it would be nice to have a fire, the forest is way too dry for that at this time of year. So we'd better find a warm sheltered spot to park ourselves. Although we're lost, I honestly don't think we're far off the main trail. So I'd like it if we stayed in this area. I can just make out Mount Oklahoma over to the east, so I know we're not far off the mark. If we keep that peak to our left, we should be able to navigate off it in the morning and get back on track."

Walt selected a sheltered rocky overhang just a few feet from where they had rested. He moved some of the smaller rocks out of the way, wary of one particular gap at the bottom of the rock face that might house a rattlesnake. He pushed a handful of rocks into the low crevice, ensuring they would not be bothered by any snakes or critters. He saw no reason to let Vic know of his reason for moving the rocks.

"Hey Vic, you see those sticks over there by that tree. Could you gather some of those for us? We can use them to put up a wind break. I'll grab these over here," Walt explained.

Within a few minutes, they had about a dozen 5 and 6 foot long sticks that Walt could use to make the walls for their basic shelter. He found an 8 foot length to use as a ridge pole. Since the wind was likely to come from the east, he secured the sticks very well on that side. With Vic's help, he quickly made a simple A-frame type shelter. Walt attached the smaller poles at right angles to the ridge pole using the thin parachute cord he had brought for emergencies. "Could you dig around in my pack for my piece of plastic – it should be at the very bottom."

With the 10x10 foot piece of plastic, Walt was able to make a roof for the simple shelter that would keep them dry and relatively warm overnight. It wasn't going to rain, but the plastic would contain their warmth and keep any wind out. The plastic was more than enough to drape over the ridge pole and to make the side walls of their temporary home. A bit of overlap at the entrance would serve as the closure and would keep the wind out. Walt and Vic moved a few large rocks around to anchor the 'walls' of plastic to the ground. Since there was no rain in the forecast, there was no need to dig a trench around the shelter to channel away any water. The shelter looked a bit like a pup tent, and would do the job very well.

"Vic…um…let's make a new rule. I don't want either of us to stray. If we're gathering supplies or using the 'facilities' we should always stay within talking distance of each other, ok." Vic agreed that the rule made sense. It would be best for them to be lost together, she supposed.

Once the shelter was complete, they assessed the food and water they had between them. They had plenty of water since Walt had insisted they each person carry at least two large bottles for the hike, and they had one extra juice box. Their sandwiches had been devoured hours ago, but Vic still had an apple left, and there was the emergency stash of the 3 energy bars and 4 fruit leather packets. It seemed more than enough to sustain them until the next day.

Now they could relax a bit. Walt fished around in his pack for his first aid kit. He gently propped Vic's leg on his thigh, and cleaned the wound on her knee with an antiseptic wipe. He applied a dab of antibiotic ointment and finished off with two wide bandaids. Vic was impressed by how thorough and gentle he was. "Thanks, Walt, I'm guessin' you're no stranger to backwoods first aid," Vic said.

"That's right, Vic." He shared a couple of stories about some of his more wild adventures with Henry, several of which had led to the need for some serious medical intervention.

They agreed that there was nothing further that could be done. They were warm enough, had food and water, had an idea of where they were and needed no further first aid. They decided that Vic would send a quick text message to Ferg, saying not to worry and that they would get back to him in the morning. He was their emergency contact for the hike. Then they left the cel phone alone until first light. At that time, they could look at maps and then consider whether to phone for help. Walt contemplated that a quick call to Henry in the morning might be all that was needed to confirm their location. Henry was THAT good in the woods.

At long last, Walt stopped fussing. He realized that he would never be able to remove all the small rocks and twigs that they seemed destined to lie on. He had repeatedly smoothed the dirt and had even created a slight dip in the soil to allow for their hips and shoulders to settle properly. That's another thing he had learned from many camping trips with Henry. There was nothing further he could do to provide a comfortable spot for Vic to spend the night. He would have to provide the rest of her comfort himself. Since it was only about 10 pm, they agreed to hold off eating for a while. He lay on his side and drew Vic in to him. Vic's rain jacket partially covered their legs, and Walt's fleece jacket, their torsos. It was comfortably warm inside their shelter.

They chatted at length about their favourite parts of hiking. To Walt's delight, Vic had taken to hiking very well. She maintained her enthusiasm for the activity in spite of their current plight. "I like the fact that unlike other 'sports' you have to use your entire mind and body to achieve your goals," she explained. "It's very old school, and I can see why you and Henry would like it. No machinery, other than the vehicle you used to get to the trailhead. No appliances, very little technology – well, maybe a GPS would be handy," she laughed, poking Walt's thigh with her finger. "Seriously though, I really like that it's so challenging. I find that I really have to push myself during the hike, but then long afterwards, I get so much enjoyment replaying the hike in my mind. I don't think I've done that with any other activity before. With most activities, like say, volleyball or golf, you get instant gratification. But with hiking, some of the enjoyment comes afterwards. It's so satisfying. So I'm really enjoying all this, Walt. Thank-you," Vic declared. She ached a bit from lying on the hard ground and rolled her body to the other side.

"Glad to hear that, Vic. I was afraid you might find it unpleasant or intimidating. You really hit the nail on the head – hiking is probably about 60% mental and only about 40% physical. Often you have to dig really deep to find the physical stamina AND mental strength to climb that mountain. You have to be hardy enough to manage with crappy weather. And put up with bears, wolves, ticks and river crossings. But then when you reach the top of the mountain and can take in the view, it's rewarding. Often I find myself reliving a hike after it's over. There is a lot of enjoyment of the hike after it's over – sometimes more than DURING the hike. It's funny that way."

Vic smiled in agreement. "I guess we'll probably enjoy this hike a lot after it's over," she laughed.

Walt laughed and then summoned his courage. "There's something I'd like to tell you. It's not easy for me to say this, but I want you to know…Vic.…I'm not really lost you know…you found me…you saved me."

"What do you mean, Walt?" asked Vic. "I think it's clear that we're lost."

"Vic, let me explain. It's awkward for me...Have you ever heard the words to that old inspirational hymn, Amazing Grace? There is a phrase that goes something like this… _ **I once was lost but now I'm found**_ …you saved a wretch like me. The hymn is referring to God, but if you look at it in very broad terms like I do, it feels like YOU'VE saved ME, Vic. In a completely and utterly natural way, you've made me whole again. You've made me a better person…an intact person again…and I never thought I could feel this way again…" Walt confessed.

Vic let out a little laugh. "Wow, that was a long speech. You aren't a wretch, Walt."

"I know...I know…maybe I've been wretched at times…" he chuckled. "Seriously though, Vic…it's not meant to be taken absolutely literally. I think in this case, a wretch means a modest or humble person. And I do mean that…you literally saved me…and pulled me from a very dark place, into the light. To a place that is beautiful because you are in it with me."

Vic had never heard Walt make such a revealing confession. She rotated her body to face him. Unfortunately they had a better 'fit' when spooning, but this discussion required a face-to-face. "Well, you've helped me tremendously too, Walt. You like me for who I am and have never tried to change me. I know I'm not perfect, but you seem to like this flawed version of myself, Walt; you seem to like me even more than I like myself sometimes. It's a version of me that I don't always like, but it's still ME. No man has ever done that for me. No one I've ever been with has ever just let me do my own thing, my own way. My life, my career choices, my job, my marriage – everything's always been governed by other people. Either literally, or in some cases I've felt compelled to seek people's approval," Vic spoke with exasperation in her voice. "But you get that…you get me," she revealed. "And, I've never really told you this, but I absolutely love how you treat me in the Sheriff's Department. You treat me like a partner, not a rookie deputy. You allow me to use my skills and talents and never make me feel that I'm not capable of tackling even the most difficult cases AND you've never used the gender card at work."

"It's because I love you," Walt whispered, a little afraid of those words. "All of you, all the time. You've made me feel so happy lately. I never dreamed that I could find so much happiness after losing Martha. And, this is going to sound a bit weird, but it's a kind of happiness that I've never felt before. Happiness that I never felt with Martha…" It was painful for Walt to admit this last part. He felt a bit like he was being disloyal to Martha. He also felt that Cady might have a problem with this – like her dad was being unfaithful her mom or something like that.

"Vic, I've never talked about this with anyone. Not even Henry or Cady, so you have to keep it to yourself. Um…you have to know that there were times that my marriage was not very good. I was away on the job a lot, which upset Martha. Plenty of times I missed Cady's birthday party or Christmas dinner, responding to a car accident or whatever. And then the more irritated Martha got about it, the more often I would take calls, just to get out of the house. Or I would find a reason to linger at the Station…"

"Oh Walt, I didn't know that. Well, I guess there's been no reason for me to know that."

"Yeah. You know me, always avoiding the emotional stuff. Never wanted to talk about it with anyone. And also I feel really bad about this next part. I think one of the reasons that Martha was irritated was that maybe she was sick for a couple of years before they diagnosed the cancer. She had vague symptoms and just felt unwell a lot of the time. And I feel terrible that I wasn't there for her."

"Oh Walt. It wasn't your fault. I'm sure you were very supportive of her when she got sick. And there was nothing that you would have done to make her get sick either."

"Well, I don't know. I feel bad that I didn't take the time to enjoy what I had, the family life. I just let my job consume me, and then before we knew it, Martha was going downhill and then she was gone. It feels like we were robbed of family life well before Martha actually died. And then my relationship with Cady suffered for a long time after that. I was distant and emotionally unavailable to her. And then she found out that Martha had been murdered. I managed to get to Denver before Martha died – she made me promise not to tell Cady about being stabbed. It was just so much easier to let Cady think her mom had died of the cancer. She WAS dying of cancer, but…"

Vic reached for Walt's arm. She ran her hand up and down his forearm. "You know, it's ok for you to have these feelings, Walt. I know that Cady feels your love. It's only a technical detail right now that you didn't tell her that Martha was killed. Like an error of omission. We spend a lot of time talking, me and Cady. She's over being mad at you, so don't worry about that. And …I don't think that your new feelings for me should diminish the love you had with Martha. Or the love you have for Cady. And I don't think you need to make any confessions about the state of your marriage to Cady. Martha would have realized when she married you, that the job would always be calling you away from the family. She knew the sense of duty you had to the County. And now, as for your current status, Martha would want you to be happy. I know that Cady does."

Walt was amazed that Vic seemed to read his thoughts. "I know that, but sometimes it feels that way – like when it seems that I'm finally able to let a bit of Martha go, it's like I'm losing that part of me. You know that I took her ashes up to the bluff a while ago. I'm still not sure that I'm feeling any sense of closure from that."

"Well, Walt. These things take time. I've learned that you don't just skip from one life event to another. It's a process that takes time. I think that sometimes we dwell on some issues from the past, while we progress forward, enjoying new experiences. I mean, look at me and my marriage to Sean. That was a big mess for us both. Just because I'm divorced now, it doesn't mean that it's been a clean sweep and I'm totally free of everything. Severing that part of my life feels like that – like some part of me has been sliced away and it's painful. I'm sure my parents are really disappointed in me. Hell, I'm disappointed in myself. I really did want my marriage to be successful – and now I feel like I failed. And yet over these months, I've also been very happy with you. I feel guilty too, because Sean and others always thought that there was something going on between you and me. And now there is. How do you think this looks to people – I hate the thought that people are going to gossip about us and say that maybe you ruined my marriage. I don't believe that at all, but people are still going to make up whatever they want about us. All the financial and legal parts of the divorce are over, and I'm probably never going to see Sean again. But it bugs me that probably one day, the lawyer is going to hear some rumours about us, and he'll tell Sean. And then Sean might think that you and I were having an affair. We weren't of course, but it doesn't matter. They will all think less of us. I don't want to feel bad about any of this," Vic said.

"I know," said Walt. "I'm starting to hear rumours. But it's important for us to remember that we WERE being honest with people when we said nothing was going on with us. I respected your marriage and would never do anything to jeopardize that. But I couldn't help what was going on in my mind and that fact that you stole my heart. Sounds corny, I know, but you did."

"I know, Walt. You know, we never discussed what happened that night at your cabin when Lizzie came over. I always thought Lizzie was a very nice person, but just felt terribly hurt, thinking there was something going on with us, and so she blurted out that stuff at the cabin. But maybe there WAS some truth to what she said. Maybe subconsciously we were looking at each other, but couldn't allow ourselves to face the truth?"

"Maybe…it was too awkward to discuss. You were still married and the election was coming up and then Cady had her car accident. There was never a good time to talk to you about it," Walt replied. "How do you feel about us, Vic? I'm really happy with you and feel we are progressing. I can see a future with you."

"It feels pretty good to me too, Walt. But am I enough for you?" asked Vic hesitant to broach the deeper subject.

"I don't know what you mean," replied Walt.

"Well…" Vic said with a pause. "I don't know if I want to marry again. Or have kids," she confessed, thinking that Walt would be focussed on these objectives. "You're a pretty traditional guy, Walt. I'm assuming that you would want to remarry some day. I'm just not sure I'm the marrying type anymore," Vic said glumly.

"I don't care," said Walt. "I just want to be with you. Although marriage would be nice one day, I don't want that if you don't want it. And I have a daughter. Sooooo, if you don't want kids, I'd be thrilled to be able to keep the daughter I already have…" Walt laughed gently.

"Okaaaaay…that clears things up a little bit," Vic said, drawing the words out. "You're definitely a handful for me, but a sexy handful that I love spending time with." she said, pulling on Walt's shirt front with both hands, drawing him into an embrace.

Through the long night, neither of them got much sleep. They dozed at times, grateful for the warmth the other person gave. Walt's worries were mostly about ticks and rattlesnakes. Vic's worries were mostly about bears.

Although they were warm enough, the dirt floor was uncomfortable and the snacks they ate were not satisfying. They had agreed to eat only half of what they had, leaving the rest for the hike out in the morning. They continued to talk through the night, their hands roaming on each other's bodies at times.

There was so much to talk about. They talked about their age difference, and to Walt's relief, Vic was able to put many of his concerns to rest about that.

They talked about love and the role sex would play in their relationship. Vic explained that although she certainly was a very sexual person, she had been holding back a little, in that regard. She was embarrassed to reveal that she had been quite reckless in her youth and admitted as well, that she and Sean had used sex as a tool to keep their marriage from crumbling. To them, it was used in anger and frustration rather than in love. She didn't want to repeat that with Walt. She also said that in the past, she had had a problem with blood clots and had been using her recent divorce as a chance to take 'a few months' off from using the Pill and being subjected to those hormones. She had not been expecting to sleep with anyone so soon after her divorce and wanted to take a break from any potential risks that came with her preferred method of birth control.

"But that doesn't mean that I don't have desire for you, Walt. I do – BIG TIME ! I mean, I could jump your bones right now and do stuff to you that would make your toes curl. Would, in fact, make your TOENAILS fly off! It would make you blush like a school boy," she said with a huge grin.

Walt was glad that in the dark, Vic couldn't see him blush. He really couldn't imagine what she could do to him that would warrant that kind of reaction. His sexual experiences were pleasant but very limited. He was sure that Vic was much more adventurous than he was. He confessed to his own hangups about sex and described his somewhat bland marriage with Martha. And that he had slept with Lizzie contrary to his normal conservative thoughts about that, mainly to prove to himself that he was available (and maybe desirable at least to someone). But he immediately regretted it since there was no substantial basis for it.

The one thing he kept from Vic, was that he endured the Cheyenne Sun Dance as a form of penance for seeking his pleasure with Lizzie. And how he felt that Cady's accident was because of his selfish act. Maybe one day he could tell Vic about it. He had already seen her looking at the scars on his chest once and surely one day she would ask about them.

Walt confessed his intense desire for Vic, rubbing his hands on her back, moving his hands lower as he murmured to her. "I want you too, Vic. I have for ages. You know…condoms are an option, but…I want you to be comfortable with it." He didn't want to be selfish with Vic.

"I know. I was waiting to see how things turned out. I didn't just want to jump into bed with you, Walt, and then regret it. I'm trying to think things through more these days, and be wary of the consequences. Besides, you're my boss. Maybe the consequences aren't just for me. What about your job – maybe there are rules about this kind of stuff. Fraternization or whatever they call it."

"Well, Vic. It's funny you should bring that up. You know how I've said before that Ruby sometimes seems to know that I'm going to say or do before I do? Well, a few weeks ago, a mysterious package ended up in my desk drawer. No name on it, just instructions in Ruby's handwriting to open it at home. There were photocopied pages from the Wyoming State Employees Handbook. There is nothing in it that forbids what they call 'Interoffice Relationships'. The photocopy 'Elf' also included pages from Montana, Idaho, Colorado and Utah. Only Utah, because I guess they are more conservative, outright forbids anything like that. The other states just said that if there was a case where there was a reporting structure, like with a supervisor, that the utmost care must be taken for the people involved to avoid any bias or conflict of interest." Walt sighed. "So I guess it's not forbidden," he said with relief. He had returned to work after opening the envelope and for that entire morning, he didn't want to look at Ruby. He wasn't mad, but felt a bit sheepish about it, thinking it was a private matter. But he also wondered if it was Ruby's way of showing her approval of the budding relationship.

Feeling cheeky, Vic nudged her knee between Walt's long legs. "Well, isn't that peachy," said Vic with a smile that Walt could not see in the dark. "How does she do that?" Vic wondered about Ruby.

Walt didn't answer. "So, um…Vic…where does that leave us? These sleepovers have been great, but it's getting harder for me to…um…restrain myself. And now that I know you feel the same way…can we…uh…proceed?" asked a sleepy Walt.

"You're getting harder?" Vic asked with a roar of laughter.

"IT'S getting harder, Vic…um…I mean…the situation…is getting difficult…you know what I mean…" laughed Walt, as Vic slid her body on top of Walt's. They allowed their hands and mouths to roam, taking in the salty tang of their bodies from the sweat that had dried earlier. Over the remaining hours of the early morning, they managed to stop short of completely disrobing each other. They agreed that it would make sense for Vic to go back on the Pill within the month, and then they would also use condoms for a while as backup.

Although exhausted, neither could really sleep. They continued talking, covering many topics - babies (planned or unplanned), Cady, Henry, Ferg, clairvoyant Ruby, Walt's eventual retirement, the possibility of Vic taking over as Sheriff, Vic's family, housing, the town council, all of it.

Sunrise came early, along with sounds of birds singing and the wind picking up a bit. Vic groaned as she sat up. Her hips ached and because she was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, her bare arms and legs were covered with a fine film of dust. As she bent to do some stretching, her knee started to hurt again and it started to bleed a little bit. She began to scroll through her phone messages. There were several from Ferg, expressing concern about their safety. One from Cady about a pending dinner date.

Walt started to stir. He sat up, a bit surprised to see Vic by his side. For a moment he had forgotten where he was. "Ohhhh," he groaned. "I'm getting' a bit too old for sleeping in the dirt. I've forgotten how uncomfortable that can be. How are you doing Vic? Hey, looks like it's going to be a fine day." He leaned towards Vic to give her a kiss. "How is your knee?"

"I'm ok, Walt. A bit sore, but intact. Hey, there are a couple of texts from Ferg. He's worried about us. What should I say?"

"Well, can we look at those maps again? I think I have an idea of how to get back on track. Let's try something before we call in the Cavalry," Walt suggested.

They had a quick snack, reserving some food and water for later on. Walt checked Vic's knee again, applying fresh bandaids. They dismantled their shelter, returning the rocks and sticks back to nature. Walt embraced Vic and apologized again for getting her into this situation. "It's ok, Walt. I'm not upset about it all. I don't think this has scared me off hiking again," she replied.

"That's great, Vic. I was worried that you might not want to do any more outdoor stuff."

"Nah, I'm not that fragile. I mean, it was uncomfortable and all. I'm dying for a shower and a cup of coffee. But I'll live. It's actually not been that bad," Vic said, enjoying her long hug with Walt. She was feeling a bit proud of herself for being tough, and for not being a wimp in front of Walt.

"Gee, thanks for everything Walt, you really know how to show a girl a good time," she giggled.

They shared a laugh and enjoyed the view for a few minutes. Vic opened up her phone again and scrolled quickly through some maps. Walt studied them for a few moments and determined a new course for them.

"Ok, let's get going. Let's see where we are in about ten minutes. And then call Ferg. I wonder if he got in touch with Henry?"

They left their makeshift camp and retraced their steps on the minor trail they had been on the afternoon before. In less than five minutes, Walt had figured out where he had made his wrong turn the day before, and was able to get them back on the main trail. He was annoyed with himself at how easily he had led them off the trail in the dim light.

"Hey Vic. One more thing to have in your bag of hiking tricks. When you are hiking in unfamiliar territory, you don't want to just look forward on the trail. You should really turn around and look backwards from time to time. Make note of a few landmarks for the return. You can make mental notes of say, a bent tree or a little curve in the trail. You can do things like make up a little pile of rocks or branches – anything to remind you when you are coming back down the trail," Walt suggested.

After they had been on the main trail for about 15 minutes, making good progress back towards the parking lot, Walt suggested they take a break and call Ferg. They knew he would be worried about them.

"Hey Ferg," Vic exclaimed. "We're ok, fine actually. We spent the night in the woods and now are back on the main trail and know exactly where we're going," Vic said. "Here's Walt."

"Walt, are you ok?" Ferg asked with worry in his voice.

"Yeah, Ferg. We're fine. We're back on the main trail, about to see the Reservoir again. We're back on track, thanks. Sorry we worried you," Walt said with fondness in his voice for Ferg.

"Oh, Walt. I'm so glad. I was worried about you guys. How long do you think it will be until you get out? I can come and meet you. I actually slept in my car in the parking lot, I was so worried last night," Ferg confessed.

Walt was very moved by Ferg's concern. "Ferg…um…sorry about that. We didn't want to worry anyone and we REALLY didn't want to call in Search and Rescue. I hope you didn't contact them," Walt felt guilty about being more worried about being embarrassed, rather than worrying about Ferg's discomfort and worry. "That's incredibly nice of you, Ferg."

"It's ok, Walt. I know you didn't ask for me to do that. I just wanted to. I care about you guys and wanted to be able to start looking for you, at first light, if necessary," Ferg explained. "We didn't call SAR. I had a quick chat with Henry last night and he's standing by in case he's needed."

"Great, Ferg. Could you call Henry and let him know we're ok and will be back soon. No need for him to respond. How about if we just meet you at the parking lot. We're making really good time and will be back down there in about an hour and a half," Walt suggested.

"Ok, Walt. Will do. See you soon," Ferg replied, leaning his head back on the headrest. He was greatly relieved. Maybe he could squeeze in a quick nap before they got back.

It seemed like in no time at all, Walt and Vic were back from their hike, waking Ferg up. He gave Vic a big hug. Walt grinned at Ferg, and explained how his map was outdated and how he led them astray. Everyone felt relief that the ordeal was over.

Since they both had identified slight injuries, Ferg pressured them to get checked out by a doctor. Thus they both received minor first aid treatment at the Durant Regional hospital. Vic, to her surprise, needed four stitches for the cut on her knee. There was some debate by hospital staff, regarding whether the window of opportunity for the application of stitches had passed. But the cut was declared clean enough and although more than 12 hours had passed since the injury had occurred, stitches were quickly applied. The wound would be under some tension, hence the need for more than just a bandage. Walt, in spite of his protestations, had his wrenched knee examined, this time, by a young intern who recommended rest and ice and a follow-up visit to his family doctor. Both of the ASD hikers were checked out for exposure and were released.

All this time, Ferg had been faithfully waiting for them both. He awaited instructions from Walt regarding where Vic would be delivered to. "Thanks a lot, Ferg," Walt said, patting Ferg on the shoulder. "And thanks again for the coffee and for not bugging us about getting lost," Walt said with a wink.

"No problem, Walt", said Ferg. "Wanted to make sure you guys were ok. I don't care that you got lost, just that you got found", Ferg replied. Walt's thoughts went immediately back to his conversation on the mountain about Amazing Grace.

Walt was accompanied to his cabin by Cady, who had made a sudden appearance at the hospital after being notified of the situation by Henry. Ferg drove Vic to her house and stayed a while to help her get settled. While Vic showered, Ferg made her scrambled eggs and toast. "Ferg, you have many talents," said a smiling Vic, while she ate her eggs with gusto. "You are a real sweetheart. Thanks for everything!" Vic praised Ferg. "It was clever of you NOT to tease Walt about getting' us lost. He was angry with himself, you know. I was clueless out there. But Walt, you know, Walt…always takes things like that so seriously and he felt real bad about us having to stay overnight on the mountain like that. I know he felt responsible for it all."

"I know", said Ferg. "I think I'm beginning to understand Walt and how he thinks. I knew he would be annoyed with himself at having to call in for a rescue. So I wasn't going to give him a hard time about it. Plus I knew you two were getting close to each other and he would probably be protective of you like he was." Ferg continued with a thoughtful look on his face, "Wasn't gonna make any smart comments to Walt about any of that stuff."

"Yeah, that's all true, Ferg. Good call. Me and Walt…we've got this bond…this thing going for us. I'm not really sure how you would label it, but it's real and it's getting stronger," explained Vic. "And Walt certainly is more protective of me these days."

"Yeah, I'm happy for you, Vic. And, I'm just really glad you two are ok. You should get some rest," Ferg said, rising to clear the dishes off the table.

"Yeah, right, Ferg. Leave those dishes for me. I'm heading right to bed. Come here," Vic replied, grabbing Ferg in a big bear hug. "Thank-you, my friend," Vic whispered into his shirt collar.

"You're welcome," said Ferg. "I'm just glad you guys are ok. Gonna head out now. Get yourself some rest," he said as he headed for the door.

Vic was about to fall into bed when the phone rang. "Hi Cady. How's your Dad," Vic said, thinking she was getting a call from Cady's cel phone.

"Vic, how are you doing? I'm using Cady's phone," said Walt. His daughter had just left his cabin, after making a sandwich for her dad, and getting some ice for his swollen knee. "I think I'm going to sleep for the next two days," chuckled a weary Walt, trying to keep the ice pack balanced on his knee while he sped along in the Bronco. "Me too," said Vic. "Sorry Vic," replied Walt. "That was not my idea of a great hike."

"Walt, don't beat yourself up about it. We were fine. It really wasn't anyone's fault. We weren't really in any danger…we had some food and water…and it was warm-ish. Besides, I liked gettin' cozy with you like that. Amazing how much warmth two people can manufacture under certain circumstances," snickered Vic into the phone. "And, we had all that time to talk about stuff."

"Yeah, I liked it too," said Walt. "Hope I haven't ruined hiking for you. First I get sick and then I get us lost. What else could go wrong? Can we try it again some time?" he asked, almost afraid of what the answer would be.

"Yeah, I'd really like that," replied Vic. "Maybe we could do a real backpacking trip and PLAN to stay overnight. And have enough food and a real tent and a double sleeping bag, and…and…"

Walt smiled. "Vic…it's only been a couple of hours…I miss you already….when can I see you again?"

It was Vic's turn to smile. "Any time cowboy…any time."

There was a knock at Vic's door. "Hang on, Walt. There's someone at the door."

Vic opened the door to find Walt standing there, icepack in one hand and a six-pack of Rainier in the other. "I brought my toothbrush," he said hopefully.


	5. Chapter 5

_**I hope I didn't disappoint any readers with this one. I'm sorry if the story did not take the expected turns - it wasn't driven by a particular crime nor did it feature Walt or Vic having sex in the jail cell or anything like that (hmm...maybe that would be hot - just think of how they might manage that before Ruby gets to work). Rather, I have always been fascinated by the magnetic pull that Vic and Walt have towards each other, particularly in the first few seasons of the show. The slow burn intrigues me. Maybe there will be a new story (after Longmire Days) and the fire will ignite! One more chapter to go…**_

After Walt and Vic had their little hiking 'adventure', things returned more or less to normal. Work was predictable and somewhat tedious. There were many mundane chores to attend to. Eviction Day was no one's favourite activity, and thus they took turns pecking away at it. It depended on how dangerous it might be – if it were deemed safe, they would rotate through alone, but if experience had indicated that one could be volatile, they performed the evictions in groups of two. And on it went. The monthly reports and court cases were also tedious, but necessary. The reporting sometimes led to identifying an increased need for the county policing and might lead to a little extra funding.

The summer waned, and it felt like fall was going to make an appearance.

For a little while now, Vic had been trying to make things better for Ferg. Over the long drawn out spring and summer, with all that heavy stuff going on with Henry's trial and Branch spinning out of control and now hopefully coming back into balance, Ferg ended up having to take care of an abundance of lousy administrative chores and menial tasks. At the time, neither Vic nor Walt realized that they were treating Ferg rather poorly and had been excluding him from their intense discussion of these pressing issues.

Although he would not attribute his feelings to jealousy, Ferg was feeling a tiny bit resentful of the new activities Vic and Walt were pursing and their burgeoning romance. He was getting a little bit tired of hearing about their fun, while he seemed to be carrying a heavy load at the station. He was generally a good sport, but sometimes, he felt left out.

It took some time for poor old Ferg to blow his stack and point all this out to Walt and Vic. He wisely limited his complaints to work-related issues. At first he thought his rant might be a career-ending move, but both Ruby and Vic had told him later, that it was reasonable for him to do what he did, although the whiny tone was perhaps considered somewhat churlish. Still though, it brought results and cleared the air.

Walt, of course, kept his thoughts about all this to himself, and had chosen afterwards to quietly talk to Ferg here and there with positive and helpful comments about his work habits and investigative strategies. This was Walt's own quiet brand of an apology to Ferg, who seemed to take it all in stride. He was learning how to read people, and accepted Walt's subtle style of dealing with office tension. Walt did come forth and indicated to Ferg that he was very impressed by the extra steps Ferg had taken when they got lost on their hike.

Unlike Walt, Vic was taking a more obvious approach with Ferg and made a concerted effort to spend more quality time with him. She worked harder to show respect to him at work, and to show that she really cared, she agreed to go on a fishing trip with him. She was working on page 4 of her personal 'outdoor experience' brochure.

When Walt heard about the fishing expedition he felt a little funny about it. It was one thing for him to guide and protect Vic in the wild, but for someone else? That left him feeling uneasy. There had already been that incident last year with Omar and Vic's search for the grizzly bear. That left Vic shot with a tranquilizer dart and in the hospital overnight. Walt felt like he wanted to ask Ferg to make sure Vic was kept safe, but he also felt that Vic would really disapprove, citing interference or gender bias. In the end, Walt winked at Ferg as he left the office bound for home, the night before the short trip, and said firmly in his 'Walt the Sheriff' voice, "Ferg, stay safe out there, ok."

"Sure thing, Walt," said Ferg, looking Walt squarely in the eye to make sure he knew that Ferg understood the hidden meaning. Ferg really WAS catching on to Walt's communication methods.

So, the two deputies secured a rare shared day off, so Ferg could take them on a classic Wyoming fishing trip. Vic often thought of Ferg as a younger brother, and in turn, Ferg was very fond of Vic. She could be hard sometimes, but she was usually fair about things and never belittled him. If she felt something needed to be pointed out or corrected, she would do it in a whispered voice or at a private moment. Ferg liked that about Vic, not making a big deal about stuff. He also admitted that he liked Walt's style as well, although that had taken him longer to get used to. He still could not shake the habit he had of looking for Walt's approval but supposed it was reasonable, him being the newest deputy and all. And so, both Vic and Ferg were looking forward to a special day together.

With Branch soon returning to work from suspension and Henry out of trouble, released from jail, it was like a heavy weight had been lifted in the office. Ruby was back to bringing in cookies for them and Walt was even heard whistling in his office the other morning. Things were unusually quiet and it had not been a problem for both Vic and Ferg to ask for the same day off, although it was rare for them to spend a day off together.

It was a fine late summer day, off to a cool start with the promise of warmth to come, and Ferg had selected Piney Creek, one of his favourite fishing spots, for Vic's first fishing lesson with one of Durant's most capable fishermen. They decided to take Ferg's old beater truck since it had higher clearance for the old dirt track they needed to travel on. Vic had packed a picnic lunch and some soft drinks, while Ferg handled the fishing gear and bait.

As they were setting up streamside, Ferg said, with a hint of concern on his face, "I gotta point something out to you Vic. This stream looks pretty quiet, but there's a strength to it that is surprising, so be careful. It wouldn't take much to sweep you off your feet. There are rocks just beneath the surface, some deep pools and even some old rotten tree stumps and debris".

"Got ya' Ferg", said Vic as she started to wade into the stream. Vic had a tiny bit of experience with fishing, having had an uncle who liked to fish. She was eager to get started. As they fell into their own methods of casting and reeling, they would occasionally give each other a glance or word of encouragement. Now and then, Ferg would wander over to be closer to Vic, and would point out a shady spot where the fish might be resting.

After an enjoyable streamside picnic, the pair sat for a while, chatting about fishing and family. Ferg also gave Vic a detailed description of all his favourite fishing lures, including the one he used most often, the Parachute Adams. They talked about how work was going. Vic leaned into Ferg's shoulder and said "Ferg, you are doing an awesome job these days, you know. That was amazing how you figured out that the insurance guy was faking claims. I know Walt was impressed too."

"Thanks Vic. I appreciate the support and that you gave me the file to investigate. That was way better than handling a missing cow case, even if that one did lead to some frickin' good chocolate chip cookies (provided by the farmer's wife)" Ferg replied with a grin. "Yeah, Walt liked the cookies too," laughed Vic, "although he did seem to be a bit intimidated by the farmer's wife. I think she was hittin' on him."

"Hey, have you seen Branch lately?" asked Ferg, as the conversation turned to more serious matters. "I hear that he's doing a bit better…Henry said he was at the Pony the other night, but only had one beer. That's good news, if he's cutting back on the drinking."

"I saw him a few days ago, at the Sinclair station on the edge of town. We talked for a few minutes. He seemed ok to me," said Vic, reminding herself to make more effort to keep in contact with Branch and to be warmer to him once he returned to work. Although at the time, she was mighty angry with Branch for attacking her like that, she was not afraid of him. They had sniped at each other like brother and sister plenty of times, but she knew they could still work together. Ferg shared those thoughts, becoming quiet as he reflected on the past when there were three active deputies. "When do you think Walt will let him come back?" "Don't know; soon hopefully," said Vic. "Let's have a chat with Walt about it, when we get back to work. Maybe he's run into Branch too and will see that he's making progress."

"Well, I guess we'd better get back to fishing," said Ferg, wiping his hands on his pants. "Thanks for the food; it was really good. Those cookies were really good." Vic smiled. She thought that Ferg had eaten 8 of them, but who was counting.

Vic decided to move a ways up stream. After about 40 minutes or so and many casts, she managed to snag a small trout. Just as she was moving towards the bank to stow it in the cooler, she spotted a black bear on the opposite side of the stream. She spun herself around, trying to see where Ferg was, to catch his attention. As she turned, she lost her balance and tumbled downstream a short distance, over some rocks and part of an old tree partially submerged in the creek. Her splashing and crying out caused enough commotion to scare the bear and it fled back into the bushes. Ferg came running, not sure what had happened.

"Vic…Vic" he called out, as Vic sputtered and tried to get herself up and out of the stream. She seemed to be rubbing her arm and Ferg noticed a small scrape on her forehead. And the stream was pretty cold. "I'm ok, there was a bear and it startled me," she explained, as Ferg helped her to shore. There was no sign of the bear at all.

"Well, what do you think? Have we had enough? Maybe we'd better pack up, seeing that your big catch might lure the bear back," Ferg suggested, satisfied that Vic was not seriously injured. He helped Vic get out of her hip waders, which since they had not provided much coverage, had filled with water as she fell into the stream.

No first aid was needed. Vic was loathe to have a fuss made over her for a bruised arm and scratched forehead. She was a bit embarrassed about the bear thing too, wondering if Ferg thought maybe she had exaggerated the sighting. There was no doubt that she should exaggerate the size of her catch – it was tiny and really not even big enough to take home. Ferg would have released it, but Vic accidentally mangled its mouth, trying to remove the hook without pliers. The fish was dead.

So they packed up their gear, ate the last of the cookies and headed home. The two fishing friends parted company on a warm note. Each returned home, looking forward to a quiet evening of rest.

Walt called Vic after dinner that night, asking how the fishing went. Vic minimized the bear situation and her fall into the stream. She was too tired to invite him over, but they had a long chat on the phone, and rang off, each thinking pleasant thoughts of the other person.

Everyone returned to work on Monday morning, and by day's end, both Ferg and Vic had been on the receiving end of plenty of compliments, praise, snickers and advice. Much of it had been uninvited….

 **Ruby** : my husband has high chest-waders that you can borrow – might come up to your armpits, but still you'd be warm and dry.

 **Branch** (who was not at work, but who ran into Vic at the Red Pony that night): I could probably rustle up one of those padded Sumo suits for you to wear to keep you from gettin' hurt on the rocks. Might look silly though.

 **Omar** (who was having a drink with Branch): Oh Vicki, I would have saved you…could have done mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or chest compressions, ha ha…it would probably have taken numerous attempts though.

 **Ferg** : It was only a black bear and I never even saw it.

 **Henry** : I told you to wait an hour after you had eaten before going swimming.

 **Cady** : The stream was only 6 inches deep.

 **Walt** : We could always see if Wyoming Hydro upstream could hold back some water in the dam a bit. I think I have a can of salmon at home in the pantry if you're wanting some fish.

 **Vic** (who kept her thoughts to herself): Well, that was not my finest moment, but still….I had some fun, caught me a fish, got rescued by Ferg, made everyone laugh, and at least these people care about me…

The next day Vic pulled Ferg aside by the coffee machine. "Thanks, Ferg. That was an interesting expedition. Except for the bear AND me falling in the creek AND getting all wet AND only catching a tiny fish, I had a REALLY good time," she laughed.

"Anytime, Vic. Wait until we go fishing where there are grizzly bears," sputtered Ferg, almost spilling his coffee.

"Seriously, Ferg. It WAS fun. It's been a really interesting summer for me. You knew I really wanted to get out on the land and experience outdoor stuff – hiking, fishing. And I enjoyed your company. It was relaxing."

"Thanks, Vic. Yeah, I enjoyed it too. Maybe we could do it again sometime?" Ferg asked with a touch of hopefulness in his voice. He was enjoying the closeness that was developing with Vic.

Vic put her arm around his shoulder and said "sure thing. I'd like that."


	6. Chapter 6

_**This is the final chapter of this story. Will be departing for Longmire Days soon and am really looking forward to that (will take me 4 days to drive there).**_

Vic's pursuit of the outdoors continued…with the fall fast approaching, it looked like this might be the last 'expedition' of the summer.

Since she had never been camping, and there were time and work pressures for all, it was decided that the expedition would have to be short and sweet and was designated as a "car camping" event. The foursome, consisting of Walt and Vic and Cady and Henry, would spend three nights at a local forestry service campsite, and they would travel to their destination by vehicle rather than by foot. Three nights away was difficult to achieve, but that would give them two full days of fun in the woods.

Vic was trying to present a case for "glamping" to no avail. It was a major compromise for the boys to travel to the campsite by vehicle. Virtually all of their prior camping had been done via foot or horseback. Neither would entertain any thoughts of air mattresses, portable shower or toilet. Electronic devices of all kind were forbidden, with one exception. A satellite phone would be carried along in the event that a major catastrophe required Walt to be contacted; he would check in with Ferg every 4-6 hours but otherwise it was a weekend 'unplugged'. Debates were held regarding allowances for a propane cook stove, Walt's French coffee press and toilet paper.

"WTF, Walt! Are we supposed to use leaves?" asked Vic. Walt and Henry both snickered. They sat at the corner table in the Red Pony, finishing their cheeseburgers, at the latest planning meeting. "Vic," said Henry, waving a French fry. "We are expert woodsmen, able to feed and clothe ourselves from nature's bounty."

While Walt and Henry attempted to hold firm to their vision of a minimalist camping trip, Vic and Cady were conspiring to smuggle in as many creature comforts as possible. Over several evenings and several bottles of wine, lists were compiled. Miniature bottles of wine were procured from a local source, in addition to small bottles of hand lotion, sunscreen, deodorant, shampoo and solarcaine ointment for scrapes and bug bites. Bandaids, Kleenex, tampons, chapstick and chocolate bars were added to the list.

Vic wanted to sneak in her mascara and IPod, with Cady leaning towards a GPS unit as a navigational aid. Cady also wanted to pack her special moisturizing lotion. A miniature flashlight would be hidden in a pair of socks. Several changes of underwear was a must.

The boys were determined to wear the same clothing (underwear and all) for the entire weekend. Thus they had almost nothing to pack or plan for.

Cady, continuing in her clandestine fashion, secured two very deluxe self-inflating foam pads from Omar for the 'girls'. Vic was able to borrow two ultra lightweight down sleeping bags from Ferg and his dad.

Ferg, of course, was torn. He would hold the fort with more than half of the ASD staff away camping. He had enjoyed a number of camping trips over the years and wanted to be seen as 'one of the boys'. He also feared _**THE WRATH OF VIC**_ , if he failed to support her objectives. Life at the ASD would be rough for Ferg should Vic suffer any indignities out in the bush. And, although he would never admit it, Ferg was still a little sweet on Cady. So, in the matter of camping accessories supplied by Ferg, the girls won out.

It appeared as though all this was turning into a bit of a competition. The boys were determined to keep everything to a minimum, not even wanting to use plates. Who needs a plate when you can use a plank of wood? A whittled stick would serve as an eating utensil. The girls, in turn, were determined to smuggle as many comforts as possible into the campsite.

One of the debated items was the question of who would bunk with who? Vic and Walt wanted to have at least one night together, and Vic said that it was probably going to be only ONE night, if Walt was going to wear the same clothing all weekend.

So the matter was more or less decided. Vic and Walt would sleep together for night one (the 'cleanest' night), and then the 'stinky' boys would sleep in the same tent and the lovely smelling ladies in their own tent with their special secret amenities. Problem solved.

Finally the day of departure arrived. Vic left her vehicle at Walt's and they drove together in Walt's large truck, to pick up Henry and Cady, who had assembled at the Red Pony. Although he felt it was 'giving in' Henry had packed a delicious lunch of turkey and ham sandwiches and beverages for the group lunch, which they would eat along the way. No sense in giving up all luxuries…

With a quick stop along the way to admire a particularly pretty beaver pond, it took the group almost two hours to get to the campsite. Since it was already mid-afternoon, they decided to start immediately with the camp setup. There would be time for a walk down to the lake before dinner.

Walt and Henry thought it would be funny to ask the girls to set up the tents while they chopped firewood. It had been a LONG time since Cady had set up a tent and Vic had NEVER done that. "Ha ha," Vic said with mock annoyance, as she struggled to figure out the sequence to inserting and tensioning the fiberglass tent poles. Vic tackled the poles while Cady fussed with the tent fabric, pole pockets and straps. "I need beer!" Cady exclaimed, while a laughing Walt looked on, snapping a few photos of the antics. Henry had gotten a cut on his finger while chopping the wood, so he had moved on to filling the water containers for cooking and cleaning.

In spite of his sore finger, Henry managed to fill and lug both large water containers back to camp. "Do either of you lovely ladies have a bandaid?" he enquired.

Cady replied, "Well, Henry, I thought we were going to go minimalist. How about if I get you a leaf and you can tie that on your finger for the weekend?"

"My dear god daughter, I would be most grateful if you might provide a small bandage for my poor finger," pleaded Henry, holding up his forefinger, waving it forlornly for everyone to see. "How will I cook for my loved ones with an injured finger?"

"Good thing it wasn't your middle finger you're waving, Henry," Vic laughed, as she reached into her daypack for her mini first aid kit. It was a recent purchase and a welcome addition to her hiking gear.

After the tent was set up, Walt showed Vic how to use a rock to hammer in the tent pegs and tie off the guy lines.

Since the weather was to remain warm and sunny, they used only the fly that came with each tent. An additional tarp for rain would not be needed. Although it was not a huge deal, since the tents were set up to have their doors facing the campsite entrance, Walt also explained to Vic how, in a different setting, the tent would be best rotated so the prevailing wind wouldn't channel through it. There was so much for Vic to learn, and she was enjoying it all, especially her teachers and classmates.

Sleeping bags and foam pads were set out, with Vic teasing the boys for not opting to sleep on tree boughs and use woven rush mats as blankets.

"Well, Vic. I cannot speak for Walt," began Henry. "But as for myself, now that I am a mature individual, I would rather not sleep on dirt and twigs. I intend to get a good night's sleep."

"Henry, are you saying that I'm immature?" Walt asked with a grin. "Certainly not, my friend. You are simply less mature than moi," Henry said with a flourish of his newly bandaged finger.

"Hey Vic," Walt said, reaching around her back to envelope her in his long arms. He nuzzled the back of her neck and whispered "should we christen the tent now?" "Walter!" Vic exclaimed in her best RUBY voice. "Whatever are you suggesting?" she asked coyly.

Although Cady was just off to one side of the campsite, hanging a short length of rope to use as a clothes line to hang up tea towels and bathing suits, she caught sight of her dad and Vic. She smiled and said nothing, but covered her eyes with one hand.

"Walt, come here," Vic said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him into the open tent door. "You're embarrassing your daughter."

Walt and Vic tumbled onto the sleeping bags and engaged in a short bout of kissing and caressing. "Oooohhh, Walt, stick it to me," Vic said in a voice that was loud enough to be heard three campsites away.

"Vic," Walt hissed, as Vic laughed at his discomfort. "Vic…um…we can't do this…in front of Cady and Henry," he pleaded.

"I'm just jokin' Walt. Calm down," Vic explained, in a quiet voice, not really wanting to rile him up. "I'm teasing, of course. I know it's a sensitive issue. Here, just give me a kiss and we'll start looking at what's for dinner," Vic closed the conversation, which was sealed with a kiss.

It took less than an hour for the campsite to be set up to everyone's liking. Walt and Henry were amazingly fussy about how things should be set up, so there wasn't really much choice about the layout. The wood pile had to go THERE, and the water containers should be perched over THERE on the edge of the picnic table, and the food coolers had to be stored over THERE in the shade of the truck. The foursome decided to have a quick walk down to the lake before dinner. It was a warm day, not hot. Henry decided that he would try a little fishing after dinner and had his eye trained on a rocky outcropping that was partially shaded.

A light wind made slight ripples on the water. Everything smelled so fresh – the pine trees and the last of the wild flowers near the lake's edge added to the intoxicating smell of the woods.

"Great idea," said Cady. "Thank-you to the person who came up with the idea of us doing this. It's so beautiful here and I'm glad we are together. It would be nice if we could maybe start this as a new tradition?"

"Yes, it is nice. Sounds like a good idea," Walt said softly, as his hand grazed Vic's pinky finger. They linked fingers for a moment.

"I agree," said Henry. "Too often, we do not take the time to recognize how beautiful the land can be and how generous it is. As well, I am glad we are friends and have taken the time to do this together," he finished, looking warmly at the other three.

Walt, always a man of few words, simply nodded and said softly, "Yep."

They walked slowly back to their nearby campsite, feeling happy and relaxed. Since this was their first night out, the boys had offered to prepare dinner. It appeared as though the minimalist camping strategy had been quickly discarded in favour of a culinary extravaganza, at least for dinner. Walt withdrew four small fillet mignon steaks from the cooler while Henry started a small fire. He wanted to have the fire burn down to coals for cooking. Walt set the potatoes at the edge of the fire ring. They had already been cleaned, pierced and wrapped in foil for baking. Mushrooms, onions and carrots had also been thoughtfully prepared by Henry in advance, and were contained in a foil pouch ready to go on the coals. Beer had been chilling in the cooler all day.

After a delicious dinner, some splashing around the dish cleanup, and another quick walk to the lake, the group settled down around a freshly lit campfire. Since it was late in the season and there had been a couple of late summer rainfalls, campfires were not restricted.

Vic was impressed by how warm the campfire made her feel – physically and emotionally. It was quite something to see faces lit by the fire – Henry's gestures and facial expressions were dramatic, highlighted by the orange glow. The group got to talking about past trips and what Cady was like as a teenager. She was not always enthusiastic about the extended family camping trips, since as a typical teenager, she felt a strong pull to spend most of her time with her friends, rather than her parents. But Walt and Martha had insisted she attend at least one of the traditional trips each summer. That was a suitable compromise.

Cady admitted to her dad that there were times when they were camping and scary stories were told. She was particularly bothered by the _Night of the Grizzlies_ stories. Although those bear attacks, portrayed in the tales, occurred in Glacier National Park in northern Montana, the places the Longmire family had camped in Wyoming, were still in grizzly country. The risk was always present.

Vic had not heard of those two horrific bear attacks (on the same day in two different parts of the park). "I can see that the stories would be scary," Vic said, not sure if she really wanted to know of the details. "How about if you guys tell scary bear stories in the truck on the way home, so I'll be able to sleep while I'm here," pleaded Vic. Cady smiled at her, somewhat relieved.

"Punk, you may have forgotten, but sometimes you WANTED to be scared – you asked you mom and me to tell stories around the campfire. Not just any story, but really scary stories. Remember the one about the madman who escaped from the insane asylum who was out there stalking young couples making out in their car – the man with the hook for a hand?" Vic rolled her eyes at this one. Walt continued, "you LOVED that one!"

"Dad, I was 13 and didn't know any better. You REALLY scared me with some of those stories." They shared a chuckle about that.

They enjoyed the rest of the evening and the hot glow of the fire. Cady disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a bag of marshmallows. Walt quickly gathered some long slender sticks and whittled the ends to a point and before long, marshmallows had been blackened by the fire, fingers slightly burned, and gooey messes quickly gobbled up.

It was a cool and clear night, with the dark sky alive with stars. All the fresh air and activities had everyone feeling pleasantly tired and ready for bed by 11 pm.

Since it was fully dark, Walt walked Vic to the concrete block, a combined washroom and shower building. Vic thought it sweet and appreciated his thoughtfulness. He seemed protective of her at times and that surprised her. She also thought it intriguing that Walt was brushing his teeth JUST on the other side of that wall, on the boy's side, while she was doing the same on her side. It made her think back to a high school gym change room situation from years ago.

They walked back to the tent holding hands, enjoying the cool evening and the calmness of the evening. "I'm tired, Vic. How about you?" Walt asked. "I think it's all that fresh air."

"Yeah, me too. Am looking forward to a good night's sleep."

They settled in the tent, laughing as they bumped into each other. Vic had no idea how much of a challenge it was to change clothing in a small tent and then get into the sleeping bag. It was still warmish, but promised to cool down overnight. She wondered how difficult it would be for Walt to get changed - he was much larger than she was. She giggled as he struggled to get out of his jeans from a sitting position – he was too tall to actually stand up in the tent. "I can help with that, if you'd like," she laughed. He raised one eyebrow as he undid the fly on his jeans.

They lay in the tent, side by side, just able to see some stars through the mesh screen of the top side vents of the tent.

As they grew drowsy, Vic asked "Walt, does this feel weird to you, having me here, when you used to do this kind of stuff with Martha? I mean, does it bother you? I would understand if it did. It was something that you and Martha and Cady and sometimes Henry used to do. And now I'm here."

Walt could sense the uncertainty in Vic's voice….

"It's ok, Vic. Don't worry about it. I think it's confirmed that Cady and I are looking forward these days. Not dwelling on the past, I mean. Looking to the future. And you are a big part of that future, Voc. And I truly hope that you feel a part of this group and are enjoying yourself. We're ALL enjoying it, and being together like this."

"In fact," Walt choked a bit on the words, "I can't imagine us doing something like this WITHOUT you. You are my world now," he said, with more emotion than he thought there would be. "Are you comfortable?" he asked, not referring to her physical state.

Vic, lying on her side, facing Walt, their knees touching, ran her fingers lightly along Walt's ear and sideburn. 'It's just that it seems to be a family tradition for you, and now that Martha isn't here…" A tear ran slowly down her cheek. "I don't want to feel like I'm replacing Martha, or somehow pushing her memory aside for you," she cried, finally showing how she was very much on shaky ground with this issue.

She started to sob, and was acutely embarrassed about it, thinking Henry and Cady could hear her.

"Vic," Walt said, reaching to hold her in his arms. "I know this may seem like it's a bit early for this, but I want you to know that I love you. You aren't replacing Martha in any way. It was a terribly tragic and sad situation, with Martha dying like that – not only the cancer but to have her life shortened cruelly like that. But I've had a few years now to come to terms with most of it. I think she is at peace now, and would want Cady and I to move on in life and enjoy things. She'd insist that we enjoy new experiences and even find love again. I think she would be really happy to learn about this camping trip. She would never want us to feel bad about being able to move forward with our lives. And I'm ready now, to start enjoying life again – because of you." To Vic's surprise, Walt was crying himself, shaking in her arms.

"Walt," Vic whispered to him. "I feel love for you too. I just feel that with me coming into the picture, it would somehow make you feel like Martha was being pushed away to make room for me." She rubbed his back in a soothing way. He seemed to relax a bit and his crying was short lived.

"NO, Vic. Not at all," Walt explained. "This is a different time in our lives. It's an exciting time for me too – maybe I haven't been clear enough about that part. I look forward to seeing you at work and outside of work. You're a beautiful, intelligent, interesting and wickedly funny person. And I totally loved today. Maybe I'm finally progressing to the last part of the grieving process. It doesn't really feel to me like I'm being disloyal to Martha. She will always be in my heart. But there's so much room for you in there – you are cherished and loved. Not only by me, but I can feel Cady and Henry's love for you too. So don't you dare feel bad about your place in our world." Walt caught his breath and shifted to look at Vic.

"Please hear me now, Vic," Walt pleaded to her. "This is VERY difficult for me to say. Please keep this to yourself. I can't quite believe it myself, because I've always been a traditional man – you know that. But Vic…in some ways, I love you EVEN MORE than I loved Martha. It actually hurts me a bit to feel this way, but I do. In many ways, you're more exciting and strong and dynamic than Martha ever could be. Our marriage was very conventional and even bland at times. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice marriage, and we had Cady. But things feel so different when I'm with you – maybe the age difference and our working relationship has given me a totally different perspective. I married Martha right after college because we'd been dating a while and it was sort of expected of me to settle down. But the love I feel for you runs far wider and deeper than I had in the past. And sometimes that scares me. But it's real. Soooo…I think you should take solace in that. I hope maybe you can put some of your fears to rest about this," Walt said with a sigh. He was exhausted now.

Vic lay there, thinking for a while. "Walt, that's quite a confession. It was brave of you to say that, and I'm sort of shocked and flattered by what you said. You must have spent a lot of time thinking about this," she theorized.

"Yup. Lots of time. I don't take this stuff lightly. You know that. You deserve to have a dedicated place in my life and in our relationship. Without doubts. I'm not sharing it – it's all for you," Walt rubbed his face.

"Walt, it's getting' really late. I feel a bit better about this. You're pretty convincing. I'll still need some time to get my head around it all. But your words are kind and thoughtful. You've made me feel better. I'm just so tired now. We should get some sleep." Vic squeezed his arm gently.

Even though it was warm in the tent, for a long while they lay entangled in each other's arms. They fell into a fitful sleep, not entirely at peace. Slowly the temperature dropped and they felt a chill. Each squirmed into their sleeping bag, left unzipped, hands connected.

Although they both put about 7 hours of effort into their sleep, they woke up feeling a bit tired. Bright rays of sunshine shone through the pine trees surrounding the campsite, and into the tent.

Walt woke up first. He opened his eyes and lay there, taking in the sight of Vic still asleep. He smiled to himself, thinking how beautiful she was. He was a lucky man. He hoped that their brief talk last night had given Vic some insight into how he felt about her – and her place in his life. As he lay there, enjoying the early morning calm, he could hear Cady and Henry murmuring as they awoke in the adjacent tent.

Vic woke up a few minutes later, to find Walt lying there beside her, gazing at her, smiling. "Good morning, Vic," Walt said with a grin. He ran his fingers gently through her hair. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good, I think. Lots of stuff to think about," Vic replied.

"I hope you feel a little better about things, Vic. Although this is a big issue, I hope you can find the time to have fun this weekend and not worry too much."

"Yeah, I plan to. This issue is going to take some time for me to sort through. But in the meantime, I'm really happy to be here and plan to have some fun. Thanks, Walt. You've made me feel more comfortable," Vic said, planting a big kiss on Walt's mouth. They nuzzled together for a few moments, feeling better about the progression of their relationship.

"We're in this together, Vic," Walt said firmly. "Let's table this for now, and then talk about it soon, ok?"

"Yeah. Let's get moving. I'm hungry again," Vic said, nibbling on Walt's neck and throat. "Mmm…you taste good – a little salty, but…" she said with a giggle, putting her palms on his chest, to propel herself upwards and semi-upright. She quickly changed out of her summer weight pajamas, grabbed her small cosmetic bag and towel, and headed towards the bathroom.

"I guess you girls are getting breakfast?" Walt asked.

Sometime after breakfast **,** Cady and Vic were sitting at the picnic table, playing a game of cards. The boys had gone off to the lake for a while. The nice thing about group camping, was that you could come and go all day long. If you wanted to relax, you could do that just about anywhere. If you wanted shade there was plenty of it. And there was sun down by the lake. And it was a nice mix of people – the interplay between the four kept changing all day long as folks drifted back and forth. The chatter was comfortable and relaxing and yet at the same time the atmosphere seemed to encourage meaningful conversation and closeness.

"Vic, are you ok – you seem quiet today?"

"Yeah, I'm a bit tired – we had a bit of a heavy talk last night." Cady looked worried and she put her hand on Vic's arm.

"It's ok. We're working things out. It was about this fear that I have - I worry that it might seem like I'm taking your mom's place. I mean these kinds of camping trips were a tradition for you guys – I don't want to get in the way or take anything away from you or your mom," Vic confessed.

"Vic," Cady said, with tears in her eyes. "Vic, you're such a good friend to me. I would NEVER feel that way about you. And you surely must know by now that my dad is so happy with you. He wouldn't feel that way either. He COULDN'T feel that way. He's come to term with things and is moving forward. And he told me that he's really having a good time with you here. He loves you!" Cady gushed. "I do too. You're an essential part of our posse now," Cady explained.

"Well as long as you're ok with me," Vic said, grabbing Cady in a hug. The two had a little cry together and then broke apart. A little bit of lightness began to creep into Vic again. It would take a bit more time for her to feel that she was totally accepted into the Longmire fold, but she felt better now.

"Vic, you mean a lot to me too, you know. There are so few women in Durant, particularly professional women close to my age. You're my closest friend, and I value that. I don't usually allow that many people to get close to me. So you should consider it an honour – you've hit two home runs, one with me and one with my dad. You're a keeper, as my mom used to say, and we're not lettin' you go," Cady returned the hug. "Mom would like you."

"Come on then, let's go torment the guys," Cady suggested. "Maybe we can bug them about sunburn or their mosquito bites. I know that Henry got a few last night when he was fishing. I could dangle my insect repellant and only share it if they offer to cook for us again. Dinner last night was delicious. I had forgotten how hungry I get when I'm camping."

Vic smiled and thought of a private place on Walt's body where he had said he got some mosquito bites.

By the end of the first full day, it seemed evident that the boys had totally abandoned their minimalist strategy in favour of accessing familiar creature comforts. They had quickly realized that the girls had smuggled in considerable personal care products and culinary delights and they intended to be a part of that consumption.

"Hey Vic, do you have any of that sunscreen. My back is getting' burnt," Walt asked, handsomely shirtless.

"Cady, my dear, might you have some cookies hidden in your bag? Or Twizzlers?" asked Henry. Vic had no idea that Henry even knew what Twizzlers were!

"Hey Punk," Walt asked. "Did you bring an extra ball cap? I left mine at home."

"Vic, did you bring sunglasses? There is a lot of glare coming off the water and I cannot see the fishies," enquired Henry.

Vic and Cady were quite amused by the needy boys. "Perhaps," they conspired, "we should charge for the use of our supplies?"

That afternoon was very hot and it was decided that a lake swim would be a good idea. Although skinny dipping had been discussed, it was determined that all should be spared any embarrassment. Thus one's bathing suit or underwear was the designated costume for the swimming event.

At one point in the late afternoon, Walt asked Cady if they could go for a walk together, maybe make a loop around the lake.

Vic had been dozing on her borrowed foamie, lying in a shaded area lakeside. As Walt and Cady left on their walk, Henry decided to wander over to see how Vic was doing. He had been off by himself for a little while, working on a small wood carving.

"Hey Vic, are you awake?" he asked softly.

"I am now," Vic laughed. "I wasn't really asleep, just resting. It's so peaceful here, makes me feel so relaxed," she said with a hint of emotion in her voice. "I wasn't expecting to feel so good out here. There's something about the sun and the light breeze that makes me just want to lie down and take a deep breath."

"I am glad you are enjoying yourself, Vic."

"Yeah, more than I thought I would, me being such a city slicker," Vic giggled, motioning to Henry to come and share her foamie.

Henry sat beside her and they both enjoyed watching Walt and Cady disappear around the bend in the trail. "This is a nice opportunity for them to have some time together. You know, Vic. You have made Walt VERY happy lately. And you seem happy to me. You seem to be thriving in your pursuit of the outdoors and you fit in very well with this camping trip. It suits you very well," Henry said.

"Thanks, Henry. Yup, it feels good. Who knew that I'd like this kind of stuff? The hiking has been fun, except maybe the unplanned part with us gettin' lost. And the fishing too. You were right, Henry. It HAS helped me understand things better – even things about myself. And about Walt. I didn't know I was capable of being so comfortable out here, or even good at some of these activities," she beamed.

"Walt is impressed by your efforts. He is pleased by your sensible approach to the wilderness. It is good for him to pursue some of these activities that I know he enjoyed in the past. It is good for him to have you in his life."

"Did he say that to you?" Vic asked, interest piqued.

Henry shifted on the foam pad. "Not in so many words, Vic. But I have known Walt for many years and I can see a spark in him that has been dim for a long time. He has opened his heart to you. Thankfully you have found joy with him as well, it would seem."

"Well, we're working on things. We seem to make each other happy, maybe even happier than we each thought possible. Sometimes it's just the simplest of activities too, that are fun…like making pancakes or feeding the horse. Who knew?" speculated Vic.

"Yes, Vic. Sometimes the greatest of joy can come from the simplest of activities. I am happy for you, and I am happy for Walt. Cady too…" Henry said, putting his arm around Vic for a moment.

"Thanks, Henry. Thank-you for all the advice you've given me AND the support. You know, I didn't fit in very well when I first got here. And you were one of the first people here to make me feel really comfortable. I've never forgotten that," Vic said. "You were particularly welcoming to me, even though I didn't show a lot of graciousness when I first arrived. Thanks."

"Look, Henry," Vic said, pointing to the far side of the lake, where Walt and Cady were walking. "I hope they are enjoying their walk. They haven't been spending that much time together lately."

"Do not worry, Vic. They will be fine."

Cady and her Dad were enjoying their walk together. "This has been FUN, Dad," Cady said, as she and Walt arrived at the far side of the lake.

"Yeah, it's relaxing, and nice to be here with my three favourite people," Walt said with a smile.

They sat down on a small rocky outcropping by the lake. It was simply nice to have a sip of water and enjoy the view. A light breeze came off the lake. The sun was shining and for a moment, all was well in their little corner of the world.

"Um…Punk…I've been meaning to ask you…" Walt broke the silence. "How do you feel about me and Vic?"

Cady smiled. "I'm happy for you, Dad. You're great together. I sense that Vic makes you really happy and light inside. Lighter than I've seen you in ages." Cady put her arm around her Dad's shoulder. She touched the hair that was visible below his ear. "Dad, when was the last time you got a decent haircut?" she teased. "It's getting really long."

"How do you think your Mom would feel about it?" Walt asked, fretting slightly, focussed on one thing only.

"Well, Dad. I really think that Mom would be happy for you, and happy for herself. She'd like Vic. Did you know that when she got really sick near the end, that we talked about this kind of thing?"

"Really? I had no idea. The thought hadn't occurred to me," Walt said. "What did she say?"

"I think the conversation was easier for her than for me," Cady replied. "It made me sad to think that she was thinking about being gone and that she would be leaving us alone. But later on, after some time had passed, our conversation made sense to me. You remember how organized she was – always a planner. She just wanted to make sure that she covered all the bases. Wanted to make sure that we would be alright and that we could live out our lives with as much happiness as possible," Cady concluded.

"Remember too, how she got all the banking and house papers organized for us, leaving written instructions about the car and bank accounts and insurance and taxes," Cady remembered.

"Yeah, although it was all a bit of a blur for me after she died. It did help that all the papers were in order," Walt commented, a hitch in his voice.

"Mom said that just because she had to leave us, it didn't mean that we had to give up the rest of our lives to grieve for her. She also said that she expected us to grieve GOOD and HARD for a little while, but then to move on," Cady offered, with a little shy smile on her face. She missed her mom, a lot.

"Oh," said Walt, wondering if he grieved too long.

Cady could see the wheels turning in her Dad's head. "Relax, Dad. She didn't really mean that there should be a specific number of days or months to it all. She just meant that we should take some time to deal with things and then get over it. And find the strength to move on with life. Find love and find happiness. And I think that you've done that with Vic. I think it's awesome. And so does Henry! And I'm pretty sure that Vic is tickled too."

"You're ok with it? I mean there's the age difference and all. Plus I'm her boss. Some people think that we're exercising poor judgment – or at least I am. What do you think?" Walt asked.

Cady looked at her Dad and said," Dad, you've done well to find Vic. She's such a lively person, you know. Yin to your yang. She takes you out of your comfort zone for a while but then she brings you back to center with her by your side. She challenges you, teases you, laughs and loves with you. Don't think you could ask for any more than that," Cady said with a sense of deep pleasure in her voice. "Gee, Dad, maybe one day Vic might be my step-mother," Cady said with a big laugh, thinking of all kinds of stupid movies about evil stepmothers.

"Punk! That would be weird, to say the least. You guys are pretty close in age. And, I'm not sure that Vic wants to get married again," Walt speculated. "I'm ok with that, though."

"I'm ok with any of it, Dad. I'm sure you two will work things out," Cady said. "Hey, I'm getting hungry. Let's get back to camp. Can hardly wait to eat my burnt dinner off a slab of wood, with a stick."

"Thanks, Punk. It makes me feel good that you are ok with all this," Walt said. "Yeah, let's get back and see what's for dinner."

They ambled back to camp, to join Henry and Vic.

The second dinner was also delicious. Once again, Henry amazed them with his cooking. Everyone enjoyed a share of grilled salmon, wild rice, baby carrots and garlic bread. After dinner and a walk, the group settled down once again, around the campfire.

"Thanks again for another great dinner, Henry."

"You are most welcome, Vic. It is a pleasure to cook for people who appreciate it," Henry replied.

"That WAS delicious," said Walt. "I guess I'm on dish duty again, since I didn't really contribute to the cooking."

"That's right, Dad," Cady laughed, snapping her dad's leg gently with a dish towel.

"Vic, that's another part of camping out. You gotta clean up any food scraps and do the dishes pretty quickly, in order to not attract bears," Walt explained. "Or raccoons," Cady added, thinking of a problem or two they had had in the past on previous campouts.

"Okaaay…what do I do with these fish bones and skin?" Vic asked.

"Well, if we had no other choice, we would just burn it in the fire. But some of the smell would still linger and we don't want that. So it's best to use the bear-proof garbage cans over there just past the bathrooms. Luckily that's pretty far away from our site and we probably won't be bothered," Walt offered. "One more thing Vic. If someone is cleaning up fish, they have to be careful to do that away from the campsite. And you shouldn't wipe your hands on your clothes either, or sleep in dirty clothes. Or you'll have a bear intruder for sure."

"Okaay," said Vic, not entirely sure if Walt was telling a tall tale or not.

"Vic, Walt is correct. There are a number of steps to be taken when you are fishing, camping or cooking in bear country. We are lucky that we have a sturdy locker in the truck bed, to store our food," Henry explained.

"Ok, I'll take care of these scraps. Do we have anything else to get rid of?" Vic asked. She wanted to contribute to camp chores. She gathered up some greasy napkins and the fish scraps and headed off to the garbage cans. She offered to fill up the water jug again too.

Walt winked at her, knowing that she was pleased to be helpful and independent. He did not offer to accompany her, for that reason.

As the evening wore on, the snacks and beer came out. More beer was consumed. Of course Walt and Henry, being bigger than the ladies, could put away more and they certainly did. Vic and Cady had their share as well. After a couple of hours, no one was feeling any pain. The laughter increased as the stories got a bit wilder. Vic was pleased to see Walt so relaxed.

Walt told a few tales about the childhood he had shared with Henry.

Henry, in turn, told some of the more moderate stories of life in the military with Walt.

Vic revealed a little something about her family of cops back in Philadelphia. Not all of it was funny, so she stuck to the lighter fare. Some of the initiations she had to endure as a rookie female cop (and the daughter of a senior officer) were funny, but many were not. She did reveal a little bit about the teasing she endured from her brothers.

Cady revealed a little bit about a much younger Ferg, leaving the group wondering how they had never heard about THAT one. She also mentioned the love that Ruby had bestowed on her over much of her lifetime.

The levity continued. Walt tripped over his camp chair as he stood up to head for the bathroom. Henry let out a big belly laugh, finding this very funny. Cady giggled too. It became a bit of a giggle fest.

The laughter was contagious. Vic had a bizarre thought. She wondered quietly to herself if any of them had smoked pot back in the day. She had tried it a few times, of course, but decided it wasn't a good fit with her professional life. The stories and laughter reminded her of stoner parties at Philly house parties from years ago. To satisfy her curiosity, she made a mental note to ask Walt about it one day. He had told her once that he had purchased some 'product' from Jamie D. a few times to help Martha with nausea when she was sick. Vic wondered if Walt smoked any of it with his wife. She wondered what a mellow Walt would be like.

The story telling and beer drinking went on for a while longer, and then age and wisdom dictated that they had had enough. Besides, the Sheriff didn't want to get cited for rowdiness or public intoxication. A good night's sleep was in order.

The earlier decision for the campers to swamp tents for the next night, was abandoned in favour of Walt sleeping with Vic again. That was not a surprise to anyone. They had a peaceful night's sleep, remaining in close physical contact all night long.

To no one's surprise, the campers woke up with mild hangovers that were mostly cured by bacon and eggs, fried potatoes, orange juice and coffee. Vic had no idea that her appetite would be so big and the food taste so good.

Check out time at the campsite was usually noon, so on that final day, bit by bit, the gear and tents were disassembled and stowed away in Walt's truck.

It was always a surprise to Walt to see an empty campsite. It was just a dirt patch now, but up until an hour ago, it was full of life.

Cady and Henry disembarked at the Red Pony amid hugs and kisses and promises of future campouts. Both Henry and Cady whispered secret messages to Walt and Vic. Each was a private and unique communication, thoughtful and loving.

Vic climbed back into Walt's truck, feeling a bit dusty but content. She held Walt's hand as they drove to the cabin. Walt didn't want to see the weekend come to an end, but he knew Vic would need some time at home to do laundry or whatever before going back to work the next day. He too, was facing chores of a similar nature.

"Vic," Walt stammered. "I don't want to see you go yet," he said, holding both her hands in his. "This has been SUCH an enjoyable weekend," he said.

"Yeah, I had a good time too," replied Vic, feeling better about everything.

She slouched with her back leaning on the door to the truck. She reached for Walt, who had to bend a little to match her height.

"Walt," she whispered in his left ear. It was her favourite ear of the two, although she could not say why.

"Guess what?"

"What?" murmured Walt, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I've been back on the Pill now, for a couple of weeks and I think I'm ready for…you know what," she said, beaming.

Walt was feeling quite drowsy from the dust and heat and lack of sleep and it took him a few seconds to realize what Vic was saying. "Really?" he asked, a smile growing on his face. Maybe he wasn't that tired after all.

"Yup. And I brought condoms too!" Vic said with great pleasure. "A whole box."

Walt let out a loud 'whoop', picked Vic up in his arms like a young bride, and carried her into the cabin.


End file.
